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What’s in your water?

Posted by on Mar 5, 2014 in Help from God | Comments Off on What’s in your water?

The culprit behind my plumbing leak was a tiny trim nail which had been inadvertently driven into one of my pipes. And when the plumber removed the compromised section, I was disgusted to see what lingered inside of that length of copper. Rusty, dirty water spilled out into a waiting bucket. YUCK!

And then a light bulb came on in my mind. Yikes! The water pouring from my kitchen faucet had tasted funny for over a year now. I asked the plumber if that little nail, slowly corroding in the pipe, could make the water taste “off”. The answer was yes.

After the taste of my tap water went “south”, I began to use bottled water exclusively for drinking. I also started running the water from that faucet until I couldn’t taste it whenever I cooked, prepared coffee, or ran water for the cats’ bowls. I hadn’t trusted the water for over a year; now I knew why.

As Christians, we are vessels through which living water flows. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water [well water] will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:13b-14; emphasis added). You and I have a well of water within us, springing up to eternal life. This is the water of life which the Lord has given to us; as long as we drink from it, we will never thirst.

Jesus also proclaimed on the last day of the great feast, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:37b-38). Within you and me flow rivers of living water—waters of the Holy Spirit which arise through faith in Jesus (see verse 39).

And yet have you ever experienced a tinge of “offness” coming from the flow of your life? Have you ever thought to yourself in reflection, Something just doesn’t seem right; something tastes “off” as I think, pray or speak? Have you ever wondered, Why do the “waters” seem to get so muddy from time to time?

When that happens—and no Christian is immune—you may question the Lord and His faithfulness to you. But the truth is this: He’s still there; He’s never stopped helping you; His Word still speaks.

The well of which Jesus spoke is still inside of you—it hasn’t moved—with water springing up to eternal life. On top of that, rivers of living water still run deep within you, ready to splash through your life onto the lives of others.

I learned that a little trim nail penetrating a small copper pipe can foul the water in a home until it is discovered and removed. Every day, you and I come into contact with the world around us, its ways, its philosophies, and its loves. Every day, you and I bob and weave without even thinking, dodging suggestions and accusations, taking thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, and declaring, It is written. And the living water within us keeps on flowing.

But from time to time, an errant suggestion or a bit of news, a stray thought or a random image finds its way into the plumbing. Before you know it, the water seems “off”; what was once clear becomes cloudy; what used to flow freely within you seems to be sluggish and stale.

Nothing’s wrong with the Source of that living water; but something has fouled it, nonetheless. The good news is that the Living God is very aware of the condition of the well within you, He knows the exact location of any contaminant that may have worked its way into the river—and He’s willing to share that knowledge with you if you’re willing to hear it.

Your job is to contact the Plumber and give Him license to inspect your “home”. He’ll locate and remove the offending pollutant, showing you exactly what it is and how it penetrated your defenses, and He will repair any damage to your “pipes”. You, in turn, need to kick-start the living waters within you so you can fully flush out your system, wash yourself with the water of the Word, and then commit to refortifying your godly defenses.

Leaks happen, whether in buildings or in your life. Water can become tainted in the spiritual realm as well as in the natural. And your God is big enough to walk you through any of it—or all of it. He’s ever present and He is beautiful for situation—for every single situation.

He can be trusted.

Dorothy

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord,
and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3; English Standard Version

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God will come through—just let Him

Posted by on Mar 4, 2014 in Help from God | Comments Off on God will come through—just let Him

After I finally conquered the task of shutting off the water to my house, I entered into the world of living without running water. Needless to say, first on my to-do list for Monday morning was to find a plumber.

Who would’ve thought that every company I called would be booked until Thursday or Friday? But I was in the “trust-God” mode now, and while praying over Angie’s List, I saw a company with “A” after “A”—along with three “F”s. As I read the negative reviews, they seemed picky to me, so I took the plunge on that plumbing company. Yes, they could come today—the plumber would be here in an hour. I was committed.

The young man called to say he would arrive in twenty minutes, and the voice I heard was kind, confident, and very polite. I sensed that God had directed me.

With the knock on the door, I opened to the plumber who was standing back from the door respectfully with his ID held for me to see it clearly. And he looked like a gang-banger.

But there was that voice again—kind, confident, and polite—and without hesitation, I showed him in and downstairs to the flood site.

Long story short, this young man treated my situation like a detective mystery. His enthusiasm at solving my problem was contagious; he thought aloud as he tinkered under my kitchen sink and respectfully consulted with me as to where I was comfortable with him opening the wall. He even spoke with my contractor on the phone about the pipes and possible diagnoses for the leak. While they were talking, I took the opportunity to pray in tongues under my breath for wisdom and supernatural direction.

After the phone call, he was about to cut a hole in my living room wall to access the pipes behind the kitchen sink when he stopped abruptly, rechecked under the sink, and said, “I don’t think I should cut here. Let’s go back to the basement.”

And what do you know, but with the very first cut into my ceiling he found the problem! An errant trim nail had pierced a copper pipe and served as a plug for a couple of years until corrosion finally ate away enough metal to allow water to escape. Of course, replacing the pipe in the tight place where the leak occurred was tricky, but with positive enthusiasm he tackled the problem and cleanly replaced the pipe.

He worked for three straight hours and thoroughly cleaned up after himself. Throughout the entire process, he maintained that contagious joy about solving plumbing mysteries. And when it came time to for me to pay the bill, he charged me for only two hours and the piece of pipe he used to patch the leak.

God had come through for me yet again. And to think that just the day before I had flown into a frenzy, letting my circumstances rob my joy! But thank God, I allowed Him to convict me and address my unbelief and panic; and when I repented, His peace returned like a blanket covering my heart and mind.

And as for judging a book by its cover—despite his appearance, this young man was God’s choice for the job. My pastor often says, “Keep the main deal the main deal.” And the main deal here was for me to seek God, resist panic, let Him lead my decisions, and to allow His peace to act as an umpire in my heart, deciding and settling with finality all the questions that arose in my mind (see Colossians 3:15, AMP).

When you keep the main deal the main deal and resist the onslaught of all the screaming lesser deals, then God can come through for you every time.

Dorothy

And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. Colossians 3:15

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Catch up

Posted by on Mar 3, 2014 in Updates | Comments Off on Catch up

Is it ever good to be back to writing! Through writing I have discovered what 1924 Olympic gold medalist Eric Liddell meant when he said, “When I run, I feel God’s pleasure” (Chariots of Fire, 1981). When I write, I feel His pleasure.

I took the last three weeks off from the blog here at www.FirstOfAllPray.com to play catch up in a few areas of my life, particularly taxes and deep housecleaning. After completing the writings on the book of James, I was unsure of the Lord’s leading for my next writing project, and since taxes were looming (hello, April 15) and the house was bulging with various and sundry items conveniently misplaced in terribly inconvenient places, I knew that Uncle Sam, my house, and my mind needed my attention drawn to less spiritual and more mundane activities. And, bonus—sometimes I can hear the Holy Spirit more clearly when pursuing commonplace tasks.

As it stands now, the house looks much better, glory to God; I have direction for the next phase of the blog; but as for taxes…I’ve completed the federal, but still have the state to play with. More fun to come!

It’s funny how our plans can be interrupted at the drop of a hat. The first Sunday morning of my break—with three weeks ahead of me to organize papers, figure taxes, and bring order to the chaos in my house—I went downstairs before church to scoop the three litter pans I set up for the herd of cats living here.

Each litter box was surrounded by gigantic puddles. Who peed the big one?! I fumed as I was pummeled by irritation mixed with concern at the veterinary implications of such an active feline bladder. And then I saw it—water was trickling down the wall from the ceiling. Relief flooded the pet owner/trainer part of me while panic invaded the homeowner/anti-mold crusader/financier aspect of my being.

I ran to the internet to learn how to shut off the water to my house. Turn the faucet near the water meter counterclockwise it said. Nothing. I called one of the premier plumbing conglomerates in the area. Yes, I was told, counterclockwise is correct. Again, nothing. I put in a nearly hysterical call to the man who remodeled my home a few years ago and left a message—How do I turn off this water!!? Picturing him at church worshiping God, I thought Come on, man! Pick up the phone!  Although I was still in my church clothes, I certainly wasn’t being spiritual. I ended up asking the Lord for forgiveness—and told the devil, Yes, I did say that [censored]—but I’ve talked to God about it and He forgave me, so you lose anyway! Bug off, in Jesus’ name!

When my contractor called back (and I never did make it to church), he set the record straight; just as I suspected, you turn the faucet handle clockwise. I guess I thought the water would stop automatically—what do I know?—but he advised me to turn the basement bathroom faucets on full blast to hasten the whole deal. Sure enough, it started emptying the water from all of the pipes, and the trickle of water down the wall finally stopped. Remember this word of wisdom: Righty-tighty, lefty-loosy. It’s the law. Forever and ever, Amen. No matter what the internet says.

After splashing clean-up bleach on my new black top (forgot to change it before I started cleaning) and saturating my fuzzy leopard slippers with water from the Great Basement Flood of ’14, the peace of God nonetheless resettled upon my mind and heart. I had confidence that somehow this inauspicious beginning to my three-week break would work together for good and God would prove Himself to me all over again. This—peace in the midst of the maddeningly mundane along with expectation of turn-around in the middle of chaos—is poised and ever-ready to be accessed by every child of God who needs it.

And sure enough, God did come through for me, granting a good outcome—better than expected—and He revealed sparkling slivers of His wisdom in the very thick of it.

I’ll share more about it in the blog this week.

Until then,

Dorothy

Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord, and whom You teach out of Your law (NASB); that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked (Amplified; emphasis added). For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance (NASB). Psalm 94:12-14

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A break

Posted by on Feb 10, 2014 in Updates | Comments Off on A break

Hi! I hope all of you are well as you press on in God. It amazes me to think that I have been writing this blog for the past eight months—with nearly 190 posts! And the more I write, the more I realize that I’ve hardly scratched the surface of His infinite, intricate wisdom. He is so vast and immeasurable, yet He has chosen to dwell among us and call us His own through His Son Jesus Christ. The more I gaze at Him, the more humungous He is to me and the smaller I become to myself. But that’s not a bad thing—first, because it’s true; and second, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. The majestic God of the universe delights in me—little, speck-of-dust me—and masterminded the most significant turning point of the ages to conquer sin, Satan, and the grave on my behalf. Wow! And He did the same for you. Bask in it. Rejoice heartily because of it!

I will be taking a three-week break from the website. In my absence, I’m leaving some sites I visit frequently. (Yes, I was a school teacher; these are sub plans.) The links are various daily devotionals from different denominations and perspectives. I have found gems on each site.

Some of the sites have advertising; I do not endorse everything on these sites, including the ads. Nor do I necessarily agree with everything I read in each entry. However, I believe that you, my readers, have discernment, Bible understanding, and wisdom sufficient to “have as much sense as an old cow—eat the hay and spit out the stubble.”

I plan to return to active duty on this site on Monday, March 3, by the grace of God. Until then, may you be blessed as you continue to persist in faith, devouring the Word, and seeking the face of God.

Dorothy

See you in March!

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The taxman cometh

Posted by on Jan 22, 2014 in Finances | Comments Off on The taxman cometh

I’d like to interrupt the series on the book of James to bring a word concerning our friends at the IRS. As you know, tax day is approaching, and you will once again be reminded of the fact that a hefty chunk of your income, representing the work of your hands, is taken from your account every year so that our government and its programs can continue unimpeded. For a look at some of the “greatest” projects, here’s a link to Oklahoma Senator Tom Colburn’s “Wastebook 2011″ (link opens PDF file).

Jesus paid taxes. Even though He knew that He and His disciples were being illegally taxed, He told Peter, “However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me” (Matthew 17:27). Jesus came to the earth to save us from our sins, not from taxes. He understood His mission and refused to be distracted by lesser battles. However, throughout history He has appointed and anointed individuals to address the excesses and lawlessness of their governments. Men and women confronting such issues in our time need our prayer coverage.

Fun with the IRS

In 2006, I received a notification that my 2003 tax return was under full audit. Along with the menacing letter was a dire warning to send either my check for an exorbitant amount immediately, or to send all of my tax documentation to the IRS for their inspection. They enclosed a business envelope in which to enclose my mountainous pile of documents. Yeah, right. I panicked. And then I prayed.

A friend from church worked at the IRS. I trusted her and gave her a call. I could tell by her normally upbeat voice that she was alarmed for me. “Get a face-to-face audit. That way you can walk in with your documents and keep your eyes on all of them. And when you sit down to go over everything, don’t offer any information. Just ask, ‘What would you like to see?’ and only show them that. Don’t offer anything they don’t ask for.”

After hours and hours on the phone with their recording (was it my imagination, or was I listening to a scratchy old Victrola?) and talking to this agent and that, I finally managed to secure a face-to-face. And it was scheduled to happen in four months. Miracle number one: Time. To organize; to pray.

It’s good to have a place where you put all the things you’ll need for your taxes, whether it’s a file, a box, or a drawer. It doesn’t matter if you do them yourself or you take them to someone else, you need to know where you’re putting your information.

My stuff wasn’t entirely organized, but it was in one place. Since I’m old-school and do my taxes myself, no one else was involved in the process. During my four-month preparation time, I got everything arranged and labeled. And I prayed.

The day came for my face-to-face. I sensed my agent was a Christian. Miracle number two. The meeting lasted for at least a couple of hours as she scrutinized every bit of paperwork I gave her. Every line on my tax return was examined. Every scrap of documentation rode in her hands to the official IRS copy machine. Even though I figured she was a Christian, I kept my eye on every piece of evidence.

After some probing questions, she handed me a document which she signed, declaring me cleared by the IRS. I didn’t have to pay a dime. Miracle number three.

I nearly danced out the door and across the parking lot, waving the letter in the air like a hanky. I was free from government scrutiny. Or so I thought.

A couple of weeks later, I received a letter from my state declaring that they had received notice of my audit and they wanted me to pay over $700 to them immediately. What?!

I whipped off a letter to the state, informing them that they would be thrilled to learn that I had been cleared by the IRS, agent #XYZ, from any further investigation and that my taxes were found to be accurate and complete, without any need for additional payments. I included a copy of my victory letter from the IRS.

I received a second letter from the state a few weeks later. Yes, they had received my letter, and I owed them over $700. I could feel the steam pouring out of my collar and ears.

But in the mail that day was also a newsletter from my state representative. On the back of his letter was a form for constituents to fill out if they had any questions. Well, I had one big question. How do I get the Department of Revenue off of my back? I wrote my saga on that form and asked him to explain why the state would demand money from me when the IRS had cleared me. This would prove to be the beginning of miracle number four.

After that, a series of interesting things happened. I received a letter from my rep, a Democrat (I’m a fairly die-hard conservative Republican), telling me that he called the Department of Revenue to plead my case. He said they wouldn’t give him any information due to privacy issues (more like extortion issues, I thought), but he was trying to help me. What a great Democrat! 🙂 And then the very next day when I got home from work, I had two phone messages from the state capital—one from my favorite Democrat, letting me know again that he was going to bat for me, and the other from the Department of Revenue, declaring that they found my state tax return to be complete and accurate; I owed nothing. Miracle number five.

No matter what the tight place may be in which you find yourself, God will make a way. I pray that you stand steady and strong, trusting God to come through for you in every aspect of your life—even when it comes to the IRS and the Department of Revenue!

Dorothy

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

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