Cain

Posted by Admin on Feb 12, 2016 in Dealing with disappointments | Comments Off on Cain

Has this ever been you? You put your best foot forward, you do your best, you dress for success, you learn the song and dance…and the other guy…the other gal…gets the promotion, gets the recognition, gets the honor. Not you.

Well, it was a rough day for Cain, too. He and his brother Abel had presented their offerings to the Lord, but God regarded Abel and his offering (Genesis 4:4). Period. End of sentence. Not a word was said about Cain’s contribution. And Cain became angry. His countenance fell.

You can find all kinds of Bible teachers explaining the reasons for God’s snub—and that’s certainly a worthy topic to pursue.

However, instead of going there, I just want to take a look at the relationship between Cain and God…and meddle a bit about what so many of us deal with from time to time.

What was going on inside of Cain? He simply wanted an “atta boy” about his offering; he also wanted to be recognized for his accomplishments. I can relate. Can you?

Cain was angry that he didn’t get the recognition he felt he deserved. And it was written all over his face for everyone to see.

The Lord sought him out right after that and gave him one-on-one, tender counsel. He asked Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?” (Verses 6-7.) It’s obvious that God didn’t hate Cain; He cared deeply for him.

Wouldn’t that have been a perfect time for Cain to ask the Lord what He wanted from him? Instead, the Bible records nothing about any attempt Cain made to look into the matter.

No; Cain wanted what he wanted—recognition and honor—and he wanted it on his own terms, not God’s.

Of course, God knew that, so He left Cain with a clear and sober warning: “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it” (verse 7).

And you know, this is what God says to all of us when we feel burned by disappointments, slights, or being overlooked. Whenever someone else gets that position, recognition, or nod that you secretly craved, God’s there, nonetheless, loving you consistently. He’s there to dust you off and give you fresh direction—for the asking.

He’s not there, however, (and oh, how I sometimes wish He was!) to commiserate, badmouth your opponent, stroke your ego, or pet your wounds. No; He simply loves you and wants to show you how to hold your head high through all your let downs.

If you think this sounds harsh and uncaring of God, you need to know that He doesn’t “poor baby” you for a reason—the same reason He gave to Cain.

If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?

Bluntly stated, when you spend time rehearsing the wrongs done to you or magnifying your wounds, you are not doing well. Of course, if you’re in an abusive situation, God wants and expects you to get help; however, stroking the pain of slights or disappointment is not the same thing as getting help for abuse.

Notice—God did not tell Cain it would be easy to stop fixating on his disappointment; but He told him to move on, nevertheless.

If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.

As good as it feels to your flesh and your sense of “righteous indignation”, rehearsing the wrongs you’ve experienced and exalting your wounds is not “doing well”. And the longer you stroke those things, the longer you postpone help from God. Why? Because you’re not obeying Him!

God warned Cain about the way sin worked. It crouched at the door of his life, poised like a lion waiting to pounce, watching for an opportunity to tear him apart.

And—way before the redemptive work of Christ—God placed the responsibility squarely upon Cain’s shoulders as to the outcome when He stated, “but you must master it.”

How much more now—in the day of freedom, grace, and redemption—is God saying to you and to me, “Master it”? The instant you resist the devil, he will flee. Stand your ground when slights, disappointments, misunderstandings, or misrepresentations slap you in the face, and determine that for your part, you will do well—you will trust God, you will continue to press on, you will hold your head high—and you will not fall prey to the never-fruitful pursuit of pettiness and self-justification.

Do well and free your countenance!

Dorothy

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith…1 Peter 5:8-9a

Light and order vs. darkness and disorder

Posted by Admin on Feb 8, 2016 in Light and Order | Comments Off on Light and order vs. darkness and disorder

What happens when you turn on the light? You can see where you’re going—unless your surroundings are full of disorder and chaotic confusion.

God impressed on my heart that 2016 will be a year of Light and Order. All too often I’ve found myself bogged down in disorder—whether in my natural surroundings, in my relationships, or in the outcome of snap decisions birthed from not seeking God first.

The Bible has much to say about Light. One of my favorite verses has been John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

This Scripture comforted and equipped me when I was a new Christian. I had witnessed many of my friends fall into the confusion of cults or carnality, so I clung to this verse and trusted Jesus to keep me in the Light as I followed Him.

But does the Bible touch on the topic of order? Absolutely. The entire testimony of Scripture highlights God’s order for man, for the earth, and for all of life and nature. Two main Scriptures come to mind on this topic, and a third—a very obscure verse—jumped out at me about order/disorder a couple of weeks ago as I was reading the Word.

First Corinthians 14:33 concludes a discussion about the use of charismatic gifts in church meetings. Paul sums it up this way: “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints,” and in verse 40 admonishes, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (KJV; emphasis added). Order, according to these references, is the polar opposite of confusion, and at the same time it flows in harmony with peace.

The apostle James also spoke of disorder to a group of believers who apparently tore into one another on a regular basis in jealous fits. He warned them, “…if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth” (James 3:14). He continued, “This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (verse 15).

Tying it all together, he flatly rebuked them. “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing” (verse 16; emphasis added).

How’s that for a well-deserved slap in the face? James equated disorder with every evil thing. I don’t know about you, but I want none of that!

One Scripture, though, brought it all home for me concerning the connection between Light and Order. And it came from an unexpected source—troubled Job in the middle of his horrible ordeal.

His friends—who initially came to comfort him after suddenly losing his ten children, his health, and his wealth—ended up reproving and scorning him in his misery. Outraged and despairing, Job longed for death and lamented, “Before I go—and I shall not return—to the land of darkness and deep shadow, the land of utter gloom and darkness itself, of deep shadow without order, and which shines as the darkness” (Job 10:21-22; emphasis added).

In his misery, Job prophetically linked darkness with disorder. The two go hand-in-hand in the same way that their opposites do—Light and Order.

And isn’t it interesting that the source of all of Job’s misery was neither his arrogance, his sin, nor his dysfunction (as his friends had smugly insinuated)? No; the very root of Job’s woe originated from the one who came to steal, kill, and destroy—the accuser of the brethren—the devil.

Although Job never discerned the source of his troubles throughout the ordeal, he knew in his gut that it had something to do with darkness and disorder. You see, any time the devil attacks, he brings with him the darkness which emanates from his kingdom, and he injects the disorder that spews from the very core of his nature.

Therefore, if you ever find yourself in a season of confusion, disorder, darkness, or gloom, recognize this: Your enemy is attempting to interject himself into the equation of your life. Here’s the good news—try as he might, this god of darkness and disorder is no match for the Light of the world, the Word made flesh—Jesus Christ.

Your job at these times is to turn on the Light—call out to your Lord and open His Word. Let Him speak to you through its pages, and rejoice that His Light still shines in darkness…and that the darkness never could—and never will—overpower it.

Dorothy

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5

2016—The Year of Light and Order

Posted by Admin on Feb 6, 2016 in Light and Order | Comments Off on 2016—The Year of Light and Order

My time away from the blog to seek God was wonderful, but it was quickly followed by massive “spring” cleaning in January, followed by a hysterectomy, followed by a season of forced relaxation and recuperation. It’s good to get back to writing!

In the next few blogs, I will be sharing some things that have come alive to me so far this year in my personal Bible reading.  Later on, I plan to continue the series in 1 Peter. But first, I want to share something that God showed me in prayer just before Christmas. I believe it is a directive for the year ahead of us—2016.

As I was praying with a small group of women three days before Christmas, I saw a darkened living room in the middle of the night, illumined only by a dying fire. I saw a wrapped present descend, gently landing at the base of an unlit Christmas tree. And I sensed God saying to my heart, “I am distributing gifts of order to my people throughout the Church. It is theirs to unwrap, open and receive—if they are willing.”

I knew that order would be custom-made, individually-crafted for each one of us, His children. And I also knew that each one of us was in desperate need for His order to arrive afresh in our lives. I called 2016 the Year of Order.

As Christmas week rolled on, my pastor prepped the church for the year to come. One thing that stood out to me was his declaration that 2016 would be a Year of Light. I grasped that and mulled it over in prayer as the New Year dawned.

2016, a year birthed in an era of chaos and darkness, was to be filled with Light. And Order.

How does order come if there is no light? Well, turn out your lights and try to clean your house. It doesn’t work so well, does it?

If we want to navigate effectively in a fallen world, we must embrace the Light of the gospel. The Light of the Word. The Light Himself, Jesus. We must be willing to let His light shine into our private lives, our relationships, our time usage, our thoughts, our words, our habits, our health….into everything, whether it’s comfortable to us or not.

And it’s funny what Light does. It shows everything as it is, including the disorder that all too often accompanies our lives. However, I believe that as you spend time basking in the Word and fellowshipping with the Light of the world Himself, you will not only see the disorder for what it is, but you will also receive light on how to bring it all back into order.

And even that which recently has had the power to trip you up and defeat you time and again will be brought into wonderful order by the One whose Light will illumine your life.

This is your year—The Year of Light and Order.

Dorothy

Seek Him

Posted by Admin on Jan 6, 2016 in Prayer Perspective | Comments Off on Seek Him

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” Psalm 27:8

Is the Lord tugging at your heart to spend some time with Him? If so, don’t be concerned about the everyday hub-bub; He will take care of all of that as you obey and pull away to seek Him.

Does the Lord seem to be far, far away? Have you grown numb from circumstances piling in on you, and now don’t have the energy to spend on God? If that’s you, I want to encourage you—He is near. He cares, and He longs for you to know that. The Bible promises that if you draw near to God, He will draw near to you (see James 4:8). Seek Him. He will hear the faintest whisper from the weariest one of us, and He will lift you up.

So many Scriptures speak about seeking the Lord. Although you and I are called to a 24/7 communication with the living God, the Bible also reveals that there will be times when God prompts you into a special season of seeking Him, a time in which you set aside other activities to draw close to Him.

This is what I will be doing for the next few weeks. Since I will be laying aside my blog for a period of time to spend time with the Lord, I want to leave you with some encouraging verses about seeking Him. Soak in them and pick out one or two that really speak to you. Copy them for yourself to think on as you draw near to God. Enjoy!

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 4:29

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. Psalm 14:2

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” Psalm 40:16

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Psalm 63:1

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart…Psalm 119:2

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! Psalm 119:10

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Proverbs 8:17

“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; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Jeremiah 29:12-14

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…Acts 17:26-27

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6

God bless you as you seek Him. See you sometime in February (or before if the Lord leads me that way).

Dorothy

Looking back

Posted by Admin on Dec 31, 2015 in Memorials, Special days | Comments Off on Looking back

All over America and around the world, people are taking time today to look back on this past year. After all, today is the last day on the calendar, and tomorrow begins a new year.

The Bible has two things to say about looking back:

1.) Do it.

2.) Don’t do it.

This can seem like a huge contradiction until you consider what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” Just like there is a time to give birth and a time to die, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing (see Ecclesiastes 3:2-5), so, too, is there a time to look back and a time to stop looking back. Let’s take a look at some biblical reasons to look back.

Why look back?

1.)    The word of your testimony. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Revelation 12:11). The word of your testimony can involve two things. First, the Word of God itself is your testimony, and you have the right to speak it in faith to overcome your enemy, the devil. Second, your personal story of salvation and how God has manifested His care for you throughout your life is also included in the word of your testimony. You have the right to overcome the devil by reminding yourself and him of all the astonishing ways God has come through for you in the past.

2.)    Memorial stones. God stopped the Jordan River from running, causing the waters which flowed down from upstream to pile up in a big heap (see Joshua 3:13) so that the tribes of Israel could cross on dry ground. Joshua, their leader, then commanded men to remove twelve stones from the supernaturally dried up river bottom and to set them up on the other side as a memorial to this miracle from God. Joshua directed “…when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’” (see Joshua 4:6), then the adults could tell them how God held back the Jordan’s waters in a big heap while they passed through on dry ground. Memorial stones are very similar to the word of our testimony. We use both not only to overcome the devil and pull ourselves out of unbelief or despair, but also to train up young believers in God’s miraculous ways.

3.)    For our instruction. “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). If in your looking back you are not instructed, encouraged, or made hopeful, then you’re not looking back in the way God has prescribed. If this describes you, then stop looking and ask God to help you to adjust your vision.

4.)    As examples. “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12). George Santayana wrote in 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Looking back upon failures—those recorded in the Bible, in history, and in our own lives—can be a beneficial discipline when it is done as a study in what not to do. Be instructed, and then pressing on in faith, put what you’ve learned into practice.

The Bible also instructs concerning not looking back, as in Isaiah 43:18: “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.” From what I can determine, the privilege to look or not to look is all in the “hows” and “whys” involved in the looking. Are you looking back to give glory to God, to encourage yourself or others, or to overcome attacks or negativity battering your mind? You are looking back in accordance to the will of God. Are you looking back to receive instruction in proper decision making? You are looking back according to the purpose of God—but leave room for the Holy Spirit. Are you looking back to determine how to avoid repeating certain failures of the past? You are looking back in line with the plan of God as long as you take the information you need and then return, girded and armed for an overcoming lifestyle.

Don’t be afraid to assess this past year. A good look back is beneficial on so many levels. You can receive instruction and wisdom for your future as you prayerfully consider the last 365 days.

But most importantly, as you look back, be sure to give God the glory for all that He has done for you. Because of Him, you have arrived here, on the last day of the year, to think about all that has transpired this year. He has granted you life, health, a sound mind, and the strength to finish out the year. And it is by His grace and eternal purpose that you will enter the new year tomorrow.

To God be the glory!

Dorothy

The power of thanking God

Posted by Admin on Nov 26, 2015 in Special days, Thanksgiving | Comments Off on The power of thanking God

Have you ever wondered how to pray about the chaos out there without being weighed down by its sheer awfulness? Here’s a hint: Your natural tendency is to gravitate to­ward the object you are observing. I learned this from my drivers’ ed teacher when I was fifteen. He warned the four of us crammed into the well-dented ‘beginner drivers’ car that if we watched cows and horses grazing in the field, that’s where we would end up—in the pas­ture and not on the highway! That’s why God included thanksgiving in His list of prayer methods—thanking Him causes you to gravitate toward Him and not the problem!

Have you ever been frightened about situations in your life and asked God for help? If you prayed without thanking or praising Him, you probably continued to feel very afraid, trying to battle anxiety on your own because your eyes remained glued to the problem. Giving thanks to God pulls your attention off of the enormity of the problem and onto the greatness of God. As you gaze at God, giving Him thanks for His willingness to do wonderful things for you, the anxiety you feel drains away. If you find it creeping back in, you just ramp up your thanksgiving to God again! Thanksgiving is a powerful antidote for the anxiety you feel.

Do you try to ignore fearful situations in your life in an attempt to resist fear? Do you think about Job when he said, ‘For what I fear comes upon me, and what I dread befalls me’ (Job 3:25) and try to avoid Job’s out­come by pretending there is no problem? Is denial your strategy for dealing with fear? Is that the way you walk by faith?

Think of the boy David, one of the greatest wor­shipers in the Bible, watching sheep out in the pas­ture. When he spied the lion and the bear stalking his sheep, did he conquer his fear by ignoring the situa­tion? Of course not! He rose up, likely with a mixture of adrenaline, fear, and a strong protective instinct and killed the carnivores! His faith empowered him to con­front those hungry varmints despite the very real dan­ger! He didn’t seek to protect his faith by looking away from the predators or by denying their existence. Dead sheep would have been the outcome of that kind of faith walk. Even worse, without the experience of sub­duing the vicious beasts, David may never have been equipped to take down Goliath!

Ignoring evil, by definition, is ignorance! Thanking God, however, in the face of evil acknowledges His greatness despite the growing darkness. This power­fully applies to facing the destructive forces at work in our nation. Faith confronts the frightening events with the Word of God. Ignoring such forces in our country in an attempt to stay in faith actually prevents you from becoming a part of God’s solution to change the course of events. The sense of fear is not always the spirit of fear spoken of by Paul (see 2 Timothy 1:7); at times Holy Spirit-initiated warnings are alarming—even frighten­ing—yet they are sent by God to reveal that danger is looming. In response you pray and dig into the Word to prepare for battle—and victory.

When fear does rise up—and it will—ask God how to deal with it and the fearful situation instead of hiding under the covers, hoping the boogeyman will go away! Declare like David, ‘When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You’ (Psalm 56:3). Then in prayer con­front the giants both in your life and our nation, giving thanks to God for His Goliath-defeating power!

(The above paragraphs are excerpts taken from pages 20-23; First of All, Pray: Prescription for a Nation in Crisis; © 2013–Dorothy Frick; available on Amazon.com)

Have a glorious, thankful Thanksgiving! See you in December!

Dorothy

1 Peter 2:25—The Shepherd and Guardian of your soul

Posted by Admin on Nov 24, 2015 in 1 Peter 2 | Comments Off on 1 Peter 2:25—The Shepherd and Guardian of your soul

For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25

For you were continually straying like sheep…

Peter was not putting anyone down when he likened all of us to sheep; he was merely telling it like it is.

Sheep have very little situational awareness. They have very little self-awareness as well, and as a result, they have been known to wander off into danger.

Sheep can be busy munching on new and unusual grass, entirely unaware that they have wandered far away from the flock and straight toward a lion or a bear—the jaws of death in search of lunch.

Humans can be busy pursuing new and unusual diversions, entirely unaware that they are being wound around and around by webs of steel masquerading as fun, stimulation, pleasure, excitement, escape—the list goes on and on.

For you were continually straying like sheep…

…but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

The Good Shepherd leaves the flock to find the one sheep that has strayed, and finding it, He deals a deathblow to its predator and snatches the sheep from its doom.

The Good Shepherd whispers in your ears throughout your life—no, not that way; go this way. He woos and pursues you, and He prods you patiently as you search for truth down dead-end paths, as you dull your boredom or pain once again, or as you dogmatically deny your need for His kind of help. The Good Shepherd is relentless; He does not give up on you when others do—not even when you’ve given up on yourself—and He quietly works behind the scenes to bring you to the place where you will eventually say yes to Him: I let go of my own way. I am now ready to make You the Shepherd and Guardian of my soul.

And there your journey ends. And there your journey begins.

Dorothy

I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me. John 10:14

© 2015, Dorothy Frick