Get Real

Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
-Psalm 19:12-14

  This passage truly is the cry of my heart right this very second. The things I write about in these devotionals are not just things that I think you should know. These are things that God has been speaking to me personally. If I place a convicting question or statement in front of you, it is only because God has recently placed it in front of me. This week is no exception! So, let's talk about these "hidden faults" and "willful sins." This is a topic that God and I have been discussing for weeks. For some reason, this week, it has been the main topic of our conversations. Sometimes, I think I can just ignore my spirit/flesh battle. Maybe if I just pretend it doesn't exist, it will go away. Denial. It's funny how we really think ignoring something makes is go away. But, sooner or later, we find out that the problem only grows. We are so busy not looking at it, that before we know it, it's bigger than us! How can we get rid of hidden faults if we continue to hide them? We can't!
  The bottom line is: Do you really want to be blameless? Do you really want to be innocent of great transgression? Do you really want the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart to please God? Do YOU really want that? Let's do a heart check. Where is your heart? Do we REALLY love God or do we love our hidden sin? We can't serve two masters. Remember? It doesn't work that way. Are we really willing to let God search our hearts and clean us out? You know what else is funny? We think we have it all under control. We think we can control our hidden sins. The truth is, they control us. What will it take to admit it ALL? I don't mean that we never sin again. But, do we love Him enough to keep laying it down? Do we really want to be clean?
  What are YOU hiding? Another version (NLT) calls them "deliberate sins." Is there something you are fully aware is sin, but you keep doing it... deliberately? Perhaps, that sin is ruling over you. Perhaps, you are in bondage to it. And perhaps, that precious sin is standing in the way of a huge move of God in your life. Drop your chains! Give it up. Admit that you can't control it. When you release control, He takes it. YOU can't fix it, but you CAN get real.

Open Your Graves

Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "
-Ezekiel 37:11-14

 Earlier in this chapter, the hand of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. This valley was full of bones. There weren't just a few little bones here and there. This valley was FULL of very dry bones. The word says that the Lord led him back and forth through them; and there were "a great many bones." Then, the Lord asked Ezekiel if these bones can live. He gave God a pretty good answer! Ezekiel said, "O Sovereign Lord, only you know." Then, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones. Prophesy to dead, dry bones? I would have thought that was pretty crazy! But, Ezekiel did it. He prophesied to those bones and he heard a sound. With a rattling sound, the bones came together! Suddenly, tendons and flesh appeared on them; but there was no breath. Then God had him prophesy to the breath. After he spoke, breath entered the bodies and they rose to their feet - a vast army! Amazing!
 How many of you are in a valley right now? Do you feel like the hand of the Lord has led you into a valley? And maybe, you look around and all you see are bones. Dry bones. What is dead and dry in your life? Surely something comes to mind. If not, ask God, he will reveal it. Do you feel like hope has dried up? Maybe, you just don't see how life could come from so many dried up bones.
 Fortunately for us, raising dead things is our God's specialty! Perhaps you need to do what Ezekiel did. Admit that all you see are dry bones. Confess that only He knows if they can be brought to life. And then, prophesy (speak truth) to those bones! Speak life into your own life. Even when all we see with our own eyes is death, the Word is still living! Speak what you know is true. Stand on it. Then, watch the God who loves to revive, revive you! There is nothing He can't revive. He has already conquered death. Let Him take you to that valley. Go ahead and survey the bones. But don't hang out with them. Open your mouth and speak life and truth to yourself and others. Without fail, He will "open your graves and bring you up from them!"

Walled In

Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes;
I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.
She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Then she will say,
"I will go back to my husband as at first,
for then I was better off than now."
-Hosea 2:6-7

 I feel like God wants us to get straight to the point this week. So answer this... "What are your lovers?" What do you run to and chase after? What do you turn to, time and time again? What are YOUR lovers? We all have them. I know I do. Oh, how amazing it is that we serve such a patient and forgiving God! Not only does He take us back every single time we prostitute ourselves to these lovers, but He takes action to lure us back to him. He is such a jealous God! And rightfully so! I am so unbelievably glad that He only lets me run so far before he blocks my path and herds me back!  Just meditate on that fact. We are loved so intensely and known so well, that before we run to our lovers, He goes out ahead of us and puts up obstacles so we can't get too far away. He is after our hearts! And He is willing to fight anyone or anything to get to them! You, my friend, are deeply loved! And you are known - truly known! He knows which lovers tempt us the most. And He knows exactly which "thornbushes" to put in our path.
 Maybe I'm weird, but I love the idea of God "walling us in." He knows me so well; He knows that my real desire is only satisfied in Him. So, He walls me in, not allowing me to hurt myself by chasing after these lovers I'll never catch. When all I hit are walls, I turn around, and there He is... just me and Him. I run right into His arms! Then, I wonder why I even thought of running in the first place! And I am so thankful He didn't let me get too far!

Then she will say, "I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now."

Praise you God for being so crazy jealous for us! Thank you that true satisfaction is found in you alone. Thank you for loving us so deeply and knowing us so fully! And thank you that you are the kind of husband who fights for His bride! We worship you alone!

Isaiah 66:5-16

God has been leading me to study "whirlwinds." While studying tonight, he led me to this passage. If you are led to read this, please pray over it and meditate on it. We know revival is coming. And it is 2 sided. Hope and Judgement. Peace and War. Water and Fire. Pray for hearts to turn! Don't grow weary. Those who persevere will reap a harvest! Feel free to give me some feedback... comment or email me! adiffferentcalling@yahoo.com


Hear the word of the LORD,
you who tremble at his word:
"Your brothers who hate you,
and exclude you because of my name, have said,
'Let the LORD be glorified,
that we may see your joy!'
Yet they will be put to shame.

Hear that uproar from the city,
hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the LORD
repaying his enemies all they deserve.

"Before she goes into labor,
she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
she delivers a son.

Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.

Do I bring to the moment of birth
and not give delivery?" says the LORD.
"Do I close up the womb
when I bring to delivery?" says your God.

"Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
all you who mourn over her.

For you will nurse and be satisfied
at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
and delight in her overflowing abundance."

For this is what the LORD says:
"I will extend peace to her like a river,
and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
and dandled on her knees.

As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."

When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants,
but his fury will be shown to his foes.

See, the LORD is coming with fire,
and his chariots are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
and his rebuke with flames of fire.

 For with fire and with his sword
the LORD will execute judgment upon all men,
and many will be those slain by the LORD."

Secure and Stable

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.
"For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.
- Isaiah 54:4-8

 The unbelievable truth and love found in these verses overwhelms me. It speaks right to my core in so many ways! My guess is that everyone reading this has some sort of deep rooted fear of the same thing... rejection. I absolutely hate that word! Another guess is that most of us desire marriage so much that it hurts! My last guess is that we have all made some really bad mistakes that we regret and continue to beat ourselves up about. Have I hit a nerve yet? Thank God that v.4 says we don't have to fear rejection and shame! He knows our fears. And He knows that because of sin, rejection is bound  to happen. What we forget, though, is that we are fiercely and passionately loved! We all have things from our past that still haunt us; some more than others. Hurts, wrongs, sins... we can't seem to let go. So, we protect ourselves. Our defense mechanisms kick in. We push people away, run to things that won't satisfy, or we try to do enough good to make up for it. But God says that if we turn to him, we will forget the shame of our youth. Thank goodness he is a God who only lets us wander so far before, "with deep compassion," He brings us back! And as for those things we run to instead of him - they never seem to fill us. The security that we so desire only ebbs and flows.
  But there is hope! We can have real security that is always stable! It is constant, no matter what. He says, "Your Maker is your husband - the Lord Almighty is his name... Your Redeemer!" He provides for us. Our stability and security are found in Him alone! Let Him be that security that you crave. Let him be that today! Let Him satisfy those desires that never seem to go away. Ask Him. Keep asking and see what happens! And don't be afraid to receive!

The Scary Single Cycle

"Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,"
says the LORD.
"Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.
Isaiah 54:1-3

  As singles, we struggle so much with feeling forgotten. No matter how hard we try, we can't seem to stop what I call the "Single Cycle!" Sometimes, you are right on top! You are content in your singleness, hanging out with friends, staying out late, having fun, serving, and feeling close to God. Life is good! Until, something happens... you start to slide... You start to feel yourself thriving on that oh, so addictive attention from that oh, so addictive opposite sex! (Whichever your opposite may be...) Then, you notice someone else getting a little more attention than you. You aren't liking what you see in the mirror that day. You look around and notice you are the only one sitting in Starbuck who isn't "coupled up." (The case for me tonight) Or, you just start believing the many lies that the enemy throws at us everyday! You're not beautiful. You aren't worth it. No one wants you. He would never think you were attractive. She's just going to say "no," so dont even bother asking her out. It's safer to be passive. So then, we hit the bottom of the cycle... Hardcore case of the "Single Blues!"
How do we start to make our way back up? How... oh how... do we get back to that wonderful state of contentment and clarity? Simple... get the lies out. How do you get the lies out? You put the truth in! This passage is the exact opposite of what the enemy feeds us. God says we are even more blessed than those who are married! Wow! He tells us to shout for joy! And he promises that our blessings will be so abundant that we won't have room to store them all! Verses 2 &; 3 make me think that He is also telling us to think bigger! Look beyond what is right infront of us; try to see the whole picture. It's about His vision, not our's. HIS vision, NOT our's! How do we change our vision? We don't. He does. But, we have to turn our hearts toward him, lay down the lies, pick up the Word, and ask Him to change us. And guess what? He ALWAYS does.
   Lord, help us to not spiral down that scary "Single Cycle." Thank you for your truth. Thank you for not forgetting us. Beckon us back to you. Give us a love for your word. And change our vision.

Striving and Hiding

Why is it that women never really believe that we are enough? Actually, that is only half of the time. The other half, we think that we're too much. How can someone really be too much and not enough at the same time? Why do we buy into this lie? Why are we all so insecure that we somehow think we can never measure up, no matter what the standard?
Am I enough? Am I too much? Am I worth it?
I'm pretty sure these questions resonate with every woman, no matter how strong or wise or beautiful. It doesn't matter how "put together" she seems. While reading the book, Captivating by Stasi and John Eldredge, I discovered that all women tend to lean toward one extreme or the other. We either strive, or we hide.
Those who strive are the one's who believe they aren't enough, but are determined to become enough or appear that they are enough. These are the ones who live at the gym or are obsessed with their homes being spotless. They are the one's who bury themselves in their work or spend hours getting ready in the morning. Look perfect, be perfect, appear perfect. Work for it, run for it, strive for it.
Then there are those of us who hide. They believe they're not enough or that they're too much (or maybe both). Instead of working overtime to make themselves enough, they give up. They would rather stay home and hide. They feel alone, but then they choose to be alone. These women are more noticably insecure.
I used to think I was just a hider, but I have learned that I am (like many women) a mixture of the two. I strive to appear perfect, but on the inside I feel like a hider. How do we stop these intense insecurities? How do move past them and see ourselves the way Christ sees us?
I believe the first step is to realize that these feelings of unworthiness are lies. LIES. And they are straight from the father of lies! Satan knows that women are a huge threat to him. We are the heart! We are the heart of our churches, of our families, of our friendship groups, of THE church in general, of our workplaces, of any type of ministry. Satan knows this. He knows that if he can destroy the heart, the rest of the body cannot function. Even if he simply weakens the heart, it will affect the entire body. I pray that we, as women of God, will see who we really are, who God has truly made us to be. We are precious jewels in God's hand! We are treasures that are already treasured by the Father.
Lord, help us to recogize Satan for who he is and reject his hideous lies! Open our spiritual eyes so that we can see how unbelievably precious we are to you. Change us so that our thoughts are like your thoughts and our eyes see what you see. Thank you God!
"For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God."
         Isaiah 62:1-3