So, the question of the day . . . will we work in or out of the flow today? Go with the flow of God’s power. 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” Wow. When I let that sink in, I’m so inspired to handle everything I face today the way God instructs. Everything!
And if you’re thinking of asking me on a hike, I require pictures of the path first. Okay?
Dear Lord, help me to operate in the flow of Your power today and not against it. Your divine power has given me everything I need for a godly life. I believe this truth today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
26
PRACTICING WISDOM
My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding . . .
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
—PROVERBS 2:1–2, 4–5
My daughter Ashley was a pole-vaulter in high school. She learned how to sprint down the track in spiked shoes, plant the very long pole she’s carrying into a small pit, bend the pole down enough to create a force to lift her body off the ground, twist so her head is down and her feet are now pointed toward the sky, arch over a bar at least eight feet off the mat, and throw the pole away from her at the last minute while she crashes down onto the mat, hopefully back-first and not face-first.
Whew.
Did I mention she had to do all that without jostling or hitting the bar she was careening over, lest the bar fall and her jump not count? It’s no joke.
Her first and second years of pole vaulting were hard. She held last place on the team most of the time.
But as she got into her third year, some things finally clicked. She moved up to being consistently ranked second on her team. And then something amazing happened.
At a meet one day, she was taking her turn to vault over nine feet six inches. I could tell she was nervous. Really nervous.
She missed the first attempt and then the second.
As she limped to the starting place for another try, I could feel the tension, the nerves, the pressure. When she finally broke into the sprint down the track, nothing looked any different from any other time she’d run. When she planted her pole, nothing looked any different from any other time she’d planted her pole. But when she cleared ten feet with ease, the expression on her face was so very different from any expression I’d ever seen.
She popped off the mat and erupted in a jubilant scream I’ll never forget. She ran from behind the mat straight into the arms of a mama who may or may not have been making a slight spectacle of herself. Screams of joy. Tears of amazement.
It was mind-blowing. This girl, who for years struggled in this sport, took first in the meet and was now the new school-record holder.
As her mama I’m proud of her accomplishment. But you know what makes me most proud? The fact she just kept showing up at practice and giving it her all.
Wisdom needs to be practiced day after day if we are going to know how to apply it to decisions when they come.
Run after run. Attempt after attempt. Day after day. Sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing, sometimes feeling great, sometimes in pain, most times in last place—but no matter what, she was committed to showing up to practice. And the same can be true for us if we want to know how to make godly decisions.
If we want to know what to do when it matters most, we’ve got to be committed to showing up to practice. Wisdom needs to be practiced day after day if we are going to know how to apply it to decisions when they come.
Likewise, we’ve got to train our wisdom muscles to be strong and capable so when we need them most, we’ll know how to use wisdom.
Proverbs 2:1–11 gives us clear instruction on the way to have wisdom, use wisdom, and be protected by wisdom.
• Accept God’s words. (God’s Word is a gift. But it won’t do us any good if we don’t accept the gift, open the gift, and use the gift.)
• Store up His commands within us. (We must get into God’s Word and let God’s Word get into us. The more verses we memorize, the more our thinking will align with His truth.)
• Turn our ears to wisdom. (Listen to wise teaching, wise advice, and keep the company of wise people.)
• Call out for insight. (Ask others to help us see the consequences we’d be igniting with each choice.)
• Cry aloud for understanding. (Ask the Lord to show us how our choices will affect others.)
• Look for wisdom as passionately as we would hunt for a hidden treasure. (See the value of wisdom as higher than that of any worldly way we are offered. Stay focused on looking for wisdom despite the many distractions the world puts in front of us that would cause us to make decisions without taking the time to apply sought-after wisdom.)
After all these qualifiers, the Scriptures say, “Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (vv. 5–6).
Sweet friend, I’m cheering you on from here. You’ve got this.
Just show up to practice. Practice godly wisdom with all you’ve got in you. And let your mind do what it knows to do from all that practice.
God, thank You for Your wisdom. Help me to show up for practice each and every day with a willing heart and an eager spirit. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Part 2
Embracing the Fullness Found Only in Him
27
WHAT HOLDS THE KEY TO YOUR HEART?
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
—LUKE 18:22
I long to be a woman who follows hard after Jesus. And I’m not talking about a plastic-Christian life, full of religious checklists and pretense. No, that would be hypocritical at best and deadening at worst.
I want the kind of soul-satisfying closeness that can only come from daily keeping pace with Him. A rich and deep level of intimacy that frantic attempts at rule-following will never produce.
Rules and regulations were an everyday reality for God’s people in the Old Testament. Lists of dos and don’ts to help sinful people maintain fellowship with a holy God. First the Ten Commandments. Then law after law about sacrifices and ceremonies, food and cleanliness.
But in the New Testament, Jesus shows up on the scene and turns everything upside down with His message of grace. A message that declares, “Following rules won’t get you into heaven. Being good won’t earn you bonus points. Lay down your checklists . . . your agendas . . . everything . . . and follow Me. Believe in Me. Receive Me.”
It was a complete shift in thinking. One that left people perplexed, like the rich ruler in Luke 18.
We first meet the rich ruler when he approaches Jesus with a question: “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18).
Jesus, already knowing his checklist-mindset, begins naming several of the Ten Commandments. It’s a list the rich ruler feels he has kept well. But Jesus has more to say: “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22).
Let’s be found captured by Jesus’ love, enthralled with His teachings, and living proof of His truth.
It would be so easy to gloss over this moment and think Jesus is simply talking about money. We could be tempted to label this a story for “those” people—the ones we think have more money than they know what to do with. But the words in this conversation are for every single one of us. Because the core issue Jesus is getting at is this: What holds the key to your heart?
Oh, how I want my answer to be “Jesus.” I want to want H
im most. To live completely captured by His love. Enthralled with His teachings. Living proof of His truth.
There have been others who have gone before me who desired this as well. Imperfect heroes of faith we read about in the Bible who, despite their shortcomings, pleased God. And it wasn’t perfect actions that carved a path to God’s heart. It was something else. Something less defined that can’t be outlined and dissected. Something that was sometimes messy and offensive. But something that was so precious at the same time it caused God to pause.
Abandon.
It’s a word used to describe a little girl leaping from the bed’s edge, completely confident her daddy will catch her. It’s the same thing that fueled David’s courageous run toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. It’s what fueled Joshua. And Moses. And Noah. And Paul.
And it’s the one thing Jesus is asking of the rich ruler. Not for a life lived perfectly, but a heart of perfect surrender. So this is my prayer:
Everything I have. Everything I own. Everything I hope for. Everything I fear. Everything I love. Everything I dream. It’s all Yours, Jesus. I trust You in complete and utter abandon.
Sadly, it’s also the one thing this man felt he could not offer. He stood on the edge of everything uncertain with the arms of all certainty waiting to catch him. And he just couldn’t jump; he lived his life entangled in lesser things.
He was not captured by, enthralled with, or living proof of the reality of Jesus. And so he walked away from the only One who could ever truly satisfy his soul.
Oh, friends. Let’s not allow this to be the tragedy of our lives. Let’s be found captured by Jesus’ love, enthralled with His teachings, and living proof of His truth. Let’s be found living with abandon.
Because the life that follows Jesus with abandon is the life that gets to experience His presence, His provision, His promises, His soul-satisfying abundance.
Father God, please forgive me for all of the times I have settled for lesser things. I want to want You most. Today, I am handing You the key to my heart. The key to everything in my life. I love You. I need You. And I want to follow hard after You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
28
THE MOST SEARCHED-FOR ANSWER
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
—ACTS 4:12
Growing up, I had a plan for how I could make my life good.
Get a good education. A good job. A good family. A good house. A good flower bed out front. And a good minivan parked in the driveway.
Then life would be . . . good.
Eventually, I had all that good stuff. I was thankful for it all. I loved my family to pieces. The minivan wasn’t all I thought it would be, but I felt like an official mom driving it. So even that wound up being good.
But something inside me still felt hollow. A little off. A little lacking.
So, I reasoned I needed something else to do. A place where I could use my gifts and talents. And while these things were fun and satisfying on one level, they too fell short when it came to that deep place ringing with the echoes of empty.
Empty is a heavy load to bear. The mystery of wanting to be filled but not knowing how or what could fill the deep longing of our soul is a gnawing ache. A search that can seem both futile and shattering at times.
When you try and try, always feeling like the answer is just around the corner, and then it isn’t, it can split your heart wide open and leak dry all your reserves.
It can make you feel unsatisfied and frustrated with everything. Even those you love. Maybe especially those you love.
So you fake a smile and keep putting one foot in front of the other. But eventually you stop peeking around the next corner hoping the answer is there. History tells you it isn’t. And wrapped in that perception is the noose that strangles out all hope.
Sadly, this is where many women live.
I know this place because I lived there. I struggled there.
It quite honestly stinks.
Salvation can’t be found in anyone or anything else. There is no other. Only Jesus.
So, I’m not going to pretend you’ll suddenly feel super terrific after reading this.
But what I can promise is a string of words that explains a lot. An answer that is sure and solid and true and full of the breathless wonder of a hope rediscovered.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
No good plan is the answer.
No education or job or house can save you.
Salvation can’t be found in anyone or anything else.
There is no other.
Only Jesus.
And I’m not just talking about saying we’re Christians. Following the rules and following Jesus are two totally different things.
Going through the motions of religion won’t ever satisfy. It’s only when we bend down low, open our hearts in complete surrender, and say, “Jesus, it’s You. Only You. There is no other. There is no other possession or person or position that can ever fill the deep soul-place shaped only for You.”
This is my prayer. Though I’ve been saved for a long time, I want to recapture the essence of this “no other” reality.
And really live like this is true.
Because it is. True.
Jesus, only You can save and fill and give what my soul desires. Please remind me to draw close to You and rely on the promise that You will draw close to me when I do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
29
IF ONLY I HAD . . .
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
—PSALM 19:7–8 ESV
There’s a simple, yet incredibly dangerous little script many of us play in our minds. It might even be one of the biggest things that holds us back from feeling fulfilled in our relationship with God. It’s a script tangled in a lie that typically goes something like this: I could really be happy and fulfilled if only I had . . .
. . . a skinnier body.
. . . more money.
. . . a better personality.
. . . a baby.
I don’t know what your “If only I had” statements are, but I do know this: none of them will bring fulfillment. They might bring temporary moments of happiness, but not true fulfillment. Apart from a thriving relationship with God, even if we got everything on our list, there would still be a hollow gap in our soul.
So instead of saying, “If only I had” and filling in the blank with some person, possession, or position, we must make the choice to replace that statement with God’s truth. Psalm 19:7–8 confirms just how powerful and beneficial the truth of God’s Word is: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
Here are some examples that have helped me battle the temptation to let people, possessions, or positions take God’s place in my life.
Our soul was tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth.
People.
I no longer say, “If only I had a daddy who loved me.” Instead, I say, “Psalm 68:5 promises God is a father to the fatherless.”
Maybe your gap isn’t left by an absent father but by a friend who hurt you. Or the children you’ve longed to have, and you still don’t. Whatever that gap is, God is the perfect fit for your emptiness.
Pray this paraphrase of Luke 1:78–79: “Because of the tender mercy of my God by which the rising sun will come to me from heaven—to shine on my darkness and in what
feels like the shadow of death to me—I will find peace.”
Possessions.
I no longer say, “If only I had more possessions.” Instead, I recite Matthew 6:19–21: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (NASB).
Any possession I ever long for, no matter how good it may seem, will only be good for a limited time. In light of eternity, every possession is in the process of breaking down, becoming devalued, and will eventually be taken from us. If I set my heart solely on acquiring more things, I’ll feel more vulnerable with the possibility of loss.
Possessions are meant to be appreciated and used to bless others. They were never meant to be identity markers. It’s not wrong to enjoy the possessions we have as long as we don’t depend on them for our heart’s security.
Position.
I no longer say, “If only I had a better position.” Instead, I say the words of Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (NASB). I don’t need a better position to get where I should go. I don’t have to figure out my path and strive to get ahead. I need God’s Word to guide me. As I follow Him and honor Him step-by-step, I can be assured that I’m right where He wants me, to be doing what He wants me to do.
Whatever “If only I had” statement you’re struggling with, you can replace it with solid truths from Scripture that will never leave you empty.
When God’s Word gets inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our thoughts, our motives, our needs, and our desires. Our soul was tailor-made to be filled with God and His truth; therefore, it seeps into every part of us and fills us completely.
Embraced Page 7
