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If the Lord is With Us, Why has This Happened?–Judges 6:12

April 1, 2012 in 2012 Journey, Faith, Giving Our Best to God, Goals, God Speaks today, Holy Spirit, Judges, leadership, Life Lessons, Living a Life that reflects the Son, Success, Trust with 5 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Judges 3:31 through Judges 6:40

Angel of the Lord to Gideon: Mighty Hero, the Lord is with you!  (6:12)

Gideon to Angel of the Lord:  If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? (6:13)

Have you ever been in a situation where you just weren’t sure you could make it and some well-meaning person said, “The Lord is with you.”   I can remember times when I was thanking them on the outside and inside I wanted to smack ‘em.

When we’re in a rough place we usually react like Gideon, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

For most of us, having God with us in our hard times just isn’t enough;

we want Him to fix it. 

If we really understood the power of God, His being with us would be enough. We would realize that if God is with us, we always win!

But just like Gideon in our humanness we cry out, WHY is this happening to ME?

And God gently says, “Go in the strength you have, I am sending you.” (6:14)  In other words, do what you can do, but just remember that “I Am” is sending you and that makes all the difference!

Gideon was a farmer and felt inadequate to lead an army.  God encouraged him, “I will be with you and you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

In verse 34 of Judges 6 there is the most amazing statement:  Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon.

How would I handle my challenges if I were possessed by the Spirit of the Lord?

Confidently and peacefully…

This goes back to something we said a few days ago, “God qualifies those He calls.”  No,  we may not have an angelic glow, but when we are moving in the calling and plans God has for us, we are possessed by His Spirit and we can expect supernatural results!

Lord, you know the jobs you have for us to do, Spirit of the Lord take possession of us and supernaturally use us for Your glory!

Lord, be with us!

In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen!

 
 

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Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Judges 7:1 through Judges 9:21

Are You Thinking LIke An Animal? Jude 1:10

December 26, 2011 in Christmas, Eating Healthy, Jude, Living a Life that reflects the Son, Sin, The 2011 Prayer Journey, The Journey to Knowing Him More with 0 Comments

Do you think Fido and Fluffy are as smart as humans?  For many the answer is yes.

At some point most of us have wished for a life as easy as our family pets.  While most of us don’t have it as easy as our pets, many of us think like our pets more than we realize.

Today’s Scripture Reading: Jude 1:1-25; Revelation 1:1-2:29

But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.  –Jude 1:10

They do whatever their instincts tell them…

Have you had a moment in the last few weeks when you did what your animal instincts told you?

I know I have.  I hate it!  You know, those times when your natural, fleshly, instincts get the best of you.

The animal instinct that’s on my mind this day after Christmas is eating.

Eating, Eating, and Eating–Have you ever seen your pet eat until they make themselves sick?  Their self-preservation instinct is to eat while there’s food;  just in case there’s none to be found tomorrow. They don’t understand things like moderation, calories, fat, etc.  That’s why our pets need owners to portion out their food.

I have had a stomach bug the last couple of days; I don’t need to eat anything but bananas and toast.  What do I want?  Raw oysters, horseradish and a coke.  Why would anyone in their right mind eat oysters a day after a stomach bug?  Because today I was at my brother’s and he had a bag of delicious, salty, Apalachicola oysters and was willing to shuck some for me.  Just like all the other Christmas treats, it’s my once a year chance; I better eat all I can, while I can.  Doesn’t that sound just like Fido or Fluffy?

I think I need an owner to supervise my food intake.

Seriously, in today’s culture we live by the “If it feels good, do it” mentality.  I think it’s more like were living by our animal instincts.  The more we override our conscience, the more our animal instincts become the norm. I don’t think that’s what God planned for His children.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” –Genesis 1:26

We’re supposed to reign over the animals rather than become like them.

Which animal instinct are you struggling with?

Heavenly Father, you are my owner.  Holy Spirit, as I move into a new year, please supervise my animal instincts, put me in my place.  Fill me with your Spirit so that I will be drawn to Your ways instead of MY ways. Forgive me for succumbing to my fleshly desires.  Jesus, rescue me from myself.  Rescue me from the destruction Your Word talks about. Lord, You made me in Your Image; help me to be a reflection of You.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 3:1-6:17

3 Thoughts That Are Clouding My Thinking–Matthew 6:31-34

October 3, 2011 in Christian Living, Discipleship, Eating Healthy, Matthew, The 2011 Prayer Journey, The Journey to Knowing Him More, Trust with 1 Comment

Today’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:5-7:6; Luke 6:37-42; Matthew 7:7-20; Luke 6:43-45; Matthew 7:21-29; Luke 6:46-49

Do you ever feel that your thinking is working against you?  In today’s reading Jesus told us there were three things we needed to stop worrying about.  Three things that make us look like unbelievers.  Three things that make us look like we don’t trust our Heavenly Father.

Jesus said,

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.  –Matthew 6:31-34

Maybe I’m the only person this speaks to but these three areas take up a lot of my thinking time.

I’m either going to the store for food, cooking food, cleaning up from cooking food, wishing I hadn’t ate something, reading about the negative effects of today’s food on my body or griping because food costs so much.

Yes, that goes for drinking too.  One day I’m quitting coffee and just drinking tea, the next day I’m going organic all the way and then several times a year I vow to quit it all and just drink water, but what kind of water?  Tap, bottled, filtered, spring?

Oh, and let’s not forget clothes.  I have a couple of speaking opportunities in the next couple of weeks.  I can’t tell you how much I think, analyze and plan what I should wear.  I want to look professional, relatable, warm, friendly, and youthful but not trendy.  AND, I want to do all this with the clothes I already have in my closet. Geez!

The thing that really got me about today’s scripture were these words:

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  –Matthew 6:32

I’m thinking like an unbeliever.  I’m thinking like someone who doesn’t know Christ.

I can just imagine how my Heavenly Father must feel; the same way I would feel when I had all my children’s needs covered and they were still worrying.   It would make me feel like they don’t trust me.

The great thing about this scripture passage is God gave us replacement thoughts.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.  –Matthew 6:33

I’m pretty sure I still have to make a grocery list and make a trip to the store, have plenty of water to drink, and pick out an outfit for my next speaking engagement, but Jesus says, I  don’t have to obsess over any of it.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. –Matthew 6:34

Heavenly Father, forgive me for worrying about the day-to-day details more that I seek Your Kingdom. Lord, help me to make wise choices in what I eat, drink, and wear.  I thank you for your provisions.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!


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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-17; Matthew 11:1-19; Luke 7:18-35; Matthew 11:20-30; Luke 7:36-50

In My Proud Days—Ezekiel 16:56

August 19, 2011 in Ezekiel, Life Lessons, Living a Life that reflects the Son, righteous living, The 2011 Prayer Journey with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading:  Ezekiel 14:1 through Ezekiel 16:63

“No man will ever treat me like that!”

“My wife will never act that way!”

“I will never do that awful thing!”

“My children will never act like that!”

“I will never take a job like that!”

“I will never gain that much weight!”

“I will never drive that kind of car!”

“I will never live in a house like that!”

“I will never be like “those” people!”

Have you ever made any of these statements?

In my proud days I would dream about and plan every detail of my perfect life.  It was like I was constantly doing research—“I like that, I don’t like that.  I want that, oh no… I don’t want that.  I’m certainly not going to be like that!”

Somehow I thought “I” could actually control all aspects of my life.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that life has definitely shown me just how insignificant my prideful plans are in the big scheme of things.  What I said I would never do, get, or have— I’ve done, got, and had…in spades!

Being chosen by God to be His chosen people, could definitely give a nation a big head.  I wonder if all of Abraham’s clan watched from a distance as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and thought, “We’ll never be like “those” people!  We’re God’s chosen!”

In Ezekiel 16, the Lord is handing out the “worst of the worst” prizes and Israel beats both its sisters Sodom and Samaria, in the most and worst sins ever recorded:

Your older sister was Samaria, who lived with her daughters in the north. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived with her daughters in the south.  But you have not merely sinned as they did. You quickly surpassed them in corruption. Ezekiel 16:46-47

It seems that Israel thought they were immune to God’s judgment because they were His chosen people.  Isn’t it funny, we all want to be immune from God’s judgment but we pridefully judge others all the time?

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

The funny thing about the sin of pride, when God exposes it, there’s usually a very big splash:

In your proud days you held Sodom in contempt.  But now your greater wickedness has been exposed to all the world, and you are the one who is scorned—by Edom and all her neighbors and by Philistia.  This is your punishment for all your lewdness and detestable sins, says the Lord.  Ezekiel 16:56-58

When our pride is exposed we have a choice—repent, change, and stop the sinful behavior or…

Go back to “Pride is not pleasing to God” school, one more time

until

we

exchange

“I’ll never do that”

for

“but the grace of God go I.”

Heavenly Father, help us to really understanding the destructive power of pride.  Holy Spirit, reveal the areas in our lives that are the most vulnerable to the sin of pride.  Forgive us, help us to learn from our mistakes, and pray for and give grace to others who are fellow students in “pride is not pleasing to God” school.  In  Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

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©2010, Dianne Guthmuller

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Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:  Ezekiel 17:1 through Ezekiel 19:14

Lord, We Need a Detox–Isaiah 26:3

July 17, 2011 in Christian Living, Depression, Eating Healthy, Fear, Finances, Giving Our Best to God, God Speaks today, Holiness, Isaiah, Living a Life that reflects the Son, Priorities, righteous living, The 2011 Prayer Journey, The Journey to Knowing Him More with 0 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 24:1-27:13; Isaiah 29:1-24

I just love the way the Holy Spirit teaches me!  He uses many things to get His point across. Pastor Phil started a new series last week called Toxic.  Today was about toxic influences.

Phil defined toxic as ANYTHING containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or death.

In the last few months I’ve read several books and attended a couple of seminars on our bodies’ detoxification process and how important detoxing is in today’s toxic world.  I have changed several things in my life to improve my body’s ability to get rid of the toxicities in my life.

After today’s message I realized I need to do this in my spiritual life as well.  Phil asked us this question:

Could it be that our spiritual enemy is grooming us to receive the poison that will eventually be the death of us spiritually?

I say yes, I believe Satan, the enemy of our soul is doing everything he can to…

    • Send us to an early grave
    • Cause us to live a life full of depression, anxiety, and spiritual emptiness
    • Keep us from being the witness God’s called us to be
    • Cause us to turn completely away from the salvation Jesus provided for us

Our food has changed in the last 50 years, so has our culture.  If we’re not careful we can unknowingly allow harmful, even poisonous things in our lives through our daily choices, whether it’s what we eat, drink, read, watch or listen to; we must be responsible.

How do we detox our spiritual lives in a way that keeps us move toward God and away from the toxic influences of this world?  Phil suggested we ask ourselves these three questions:

  1. Am I being entertained by sin?
  2. Is it pleasing to God?
  3. Does this lure me away from Christ?

I’ve always been pretty guarded when it comes to protecting myself from the toxicity of the world, but as I listened to Phil’s message today I realized there were a couple of areas in which I have become desensitized.  Thanks be to the conviction of the Holy Spirit I am now aware and will make the changes necessary to move closer to God and farther and farther from the influence of the enemy.

I came home from church and began to read today’s scriptures and this verse jumped off the page at me:

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you all whose thoughts are fixed on you!  –Isaiah 26:3

No wonder the enemy is working so hard to corrupt our minds–he wants to steal our peace! No wonder he is using anything he can to desensitize us to the evil in this world–if our thoughts aren’t fixed on You Lord, we are easy pickings for the enemy.

Heavenly Father, show me the things in my life that are toxic to my spiritual health.  Create in me a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). Keep me in perfect peace as I learn to fix my thoughts on You.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!


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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 30:1-33:24

Lord, Help Me to Wait for Your “As it Happened” Moments–Ruth 2:1-3

April 7, 2011 in Believing God in the Hard Times, Christian Living, Discipleship, Giving Our Best to God, God's Merciful Ways, Life Lessons, Ruth, The 2011 Prayer Journey, The Journey to Knowing Him More, Trust with 1 Comment


Today’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:1-4:12

Today’s Devotion: Don’t Settle

Heavenly Father, the way You set things up is amazing!  Thank you for reminding me of that in today’s reading:

Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”

Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.”  So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.  –Ruth 2:1-3

Lord, I don’t believe this was a coincidence; I believe this was your plan from the beginning of time.

“As it happened,” Ruth became the grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:17).

“As it happened,” Jesus Christ came from the lineage of Boaz and Ruth (Matthew 1:5).

Lord, help me to realize that the plans You have for me today are Your “As it Happened” moments for my life.  Help me to go into this day with excitement!  Carry out Your plans for my life today!

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!


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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ruth 4:13-22; 1 Chronicles 2:9-55; 1 Chronicles 4:1-23; 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Lord, Help Me Not to Judge–Job 34:7

January 28, 2011 in Job, Life Lessons, Sin, The 2011 Prayer Journey, The Hurting World with 3 Comments


Today’s Scripture Reading: Job 32:-34:37

Today’s Devotion:  Whose Opinion is Most Important?

Heavenly Father, I noticed something in Job today I’ve never really seen before.  It’s a book about judging others and just how wrong we can be.  Today we heard from “friend” number four; a feisty, arrogant, young guy, who was so wrong about Job.

Lord, how many times do we do this?  How many times do we judge people to their face?  How many times to we judge them behind their backs?  How many times do we judge them in our minds?

Forgive us, Lord God.

Help us to learn from this example that things are not always as they seem.  It’s much better to err on mercy than judgement.

Jesus, help us to learn from these words you spoke while you were on this earth:

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?

Hypocrite!  First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5

Holy Spirit, baptize us with compassion and mercy so that we can be Jesus not judge, to everyone we meet today.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

**Our prayers become more powerful when we come together! I would love it if you would post a comment and share your prayer for the day.

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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Job 35:1-37:24

Lord, Help Me Find Wisdom–Job 28:23-24

January 26, 2011 in Job, Life Lessons, The 2011 Prayer Journey, Trust with 3 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading: Job 26:1-29:25

Today’s Devotion:  Me, Myself and I

Heavenly Father,  today I seek Your wisdom.  The kind of wisdom Job talked about:

God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. Job 28:23-24

Lord, in today’s world information is everywhere; opportunities to gain knowledge are at our fingertips, but there seems to be very little true wisdom.  I think it’s because we don’t know where to find it.

Job’s search for wisdom led him straight to You:

And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom;                to forsake evil is real understanding.’” Job 28:28

Holy Spirit, help me to understand what it means to fear You.  I think in my natural mind I sometimes see this kind of fear as “God’s gonna get you!”  Help me to understand that fearing You means showing You respect through my reverence to You and Your Name and through my pursuit of righteousness and discipline of obedience. Teach me Lord.  My greatest desire is be filled with Your wisdom.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen!

**Our prayers become more powerful when we come together! I would love it if you would post a comment and share your prayer for the day.

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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Lord, Help Us Succeed in Everything We Do–Genesis 39:2

January 14, 2011 in Genesis, Life Lessons, The 2011 Prayer Journey, Workplace with 3 Comments

Today’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 37:1-38:30;                                                              1 Chronicles 2:3-6,8; Genesis 39:1-23

Today’s Devotion:  When Our  Dreams Are Shattered

Heavenly Father, is it wrong to ask You to help us succeed in everything we do?

Is succeeding in everything possible?

In Genesis 39:2, Your Word tells us that You were with Joseph so he succeeded in everything he did.  Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and was a servant in the house of Potiphar; that doesn’t sound like succeeding.

In Genesis 39:23, again Your Word tells us that You were with Joseph and caused everything he did to succeed.  Joseph had just been falsely accused of trying to rape Potiphar’s wife and was in prison; that sure doesn’t sound like succeeding to me.

Lord, I guess before we can ask You to help us succeed we have to ask You to teach us what it means to succeed in Your eyes. Lord, as we study the rest of Joseph’s life, teach us how to succeed Your way.  Help us to succeed in everything we do.

Lord, show us Your faithful love, the love that You showed Joseph in his darkest times.  Heavenly Father, give us the desire to succeed in ways that are pleasing to You.

In Jesus’ Name.  Amen and Amen~


**Our prayers become more powerful when we come together! I would love it if you would post a comment and share your prayer for the day.

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©2011, Dianne Guthmuller

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 40:1-23; Genesis 35:28-29; Genesis 41:1-57

Give Me Your Eyes

November 30, 2009 in Life Lessons with 8 Comments

I heard this song by Brandon Heath a few days ago and it touched me so deeply that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what it would be like to “see with Jesus’ eyes”.  I must confess that most of the time I am selfish; just concerned about me and mine.  I don’t want to be this way; I want to be like Jesus, but unless the Holy Spirit gives me “Jesus eyes for just one second,” I will continue to be like the folks that Paul was addressing in Romans 12:9-13 (NLT)

He told them…

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope.  Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.  Always be eager to practice hospitality.

 Over the past few months I’ve been praying and asking the Lord to help me love like Jesus loved.  I now have a new prayer for this Christmas season…  

 

Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me you heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see

 Amen, and amen

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