Lord, if you are willing....

Lord, if you are willing, make me clean. Luke 5:12
Here in the account of Luke, a leper says to the Lord, 'if you are willing, make me clean.' Now, go with me, as I recount the verses that came as I camped on this verse:

Psalm 51:2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from sin.
Jeremiah 33:8
I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.
Ephesians 5:26
...that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.
James 4:8
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts, you double minded.
I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Mark 7:15
There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him, but the things from which come out of him, those are the things that can defile him.
Mark 7:21
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,...
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.

With the swine flu in our midst the reoccurring caution is the washing of our hands to prevent germs from spreading. In the Holman Bible dictionary clean/cleanness - "A clean person is one who habitually maintains a pattern of personal cleanliness and hygiene, while at the same time taking care to ensure that his or her environment is in a clean condition so as to forestall possible accidents, infections or disease."

In Strongs cleanse was also defined as to make clean, purify,purified, purifying, purge, purging, to cleanse oneself, made clean. It is a process, an ongoing work, not just a one time event.

As it should be with our minds. If regular hand washing prevents germs from spreading and viruses from setting in, what would a regular 'mind washing' do for us? Traveling through this world, mud and muck accumulate in the crevices or our minds, as it does on our shoes or cars. The disciplines' feet were washed upon the arriving at a house from traveling in sandals on dirty, dusty roads. Now we wash our hands on regular basis with the intention of preventing the swine flu. As it should be with our minds. Our 'mind washing' should be with the washing of the Word, to prevent Satan from getting footholds. Maintenance, so to speak. Daily washing of water by the word to clean off the mud and muck of this dark word.

The Lord is my refuge

Today I am sharing the devotion posted from Proverbs31 Ministries.
The Lord is their refuge

Flawed is the new perfect

This was the running theme during a conference I attended with my beloved this past weekend. Brings to mind a book title "Everyone is Perfect Until You Get to Know Them". Getting to know someone means exposing ourselves. Eeeck! It's safe keeping people at a distance. God did not call us to a safe life. He called us to get out of the boat and go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I can't do that, if I keep a safe distance so no one can see my flaws, neither can you. I think this is called God-confidence. We may not have confidence in our abilities, our looks, our anything, but we can have complete total confidence in our Lord and Savior who dwells inside of us. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world. Fearless. That is what I want to be. Fearless.

'...a cloud of witnesses...'

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great of a cloud of witnesses (who have borne testimony to the truth), let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.

This verse was brought before me three times in one day from various sources. I am not sure about you, but I find when God's word, the same word, is presented to me repeatedly from different sources, there must be a message that God is trying to get through to me. I am not sure if I have it yet, but I have done some thinking and wondering.

Witness in the original Greek is martyr. Holman's Bible dictionary reveals that in the Old Testament this term rarely denotes one killed for his or her testimony. Witnesses also bear testimony about moral, religious, or spiritual truths and views of which we are convinced by faith. In "Tortured for Christ" the forward notes that the New Testament martyr not only personally testified to the truth and power of Jesus Christ, but was instructed to take that witness of others, regardless the cost.

So, are you living a full witness of Christ? Are you a martyr at whatever the costs? Are you throwing off all weights that encumber you? Those hindrances can be insecurities, fears, logic,...remember the heart itself is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). I think of Paul as one who was unencumbered and ran the race with patient endurance, the race of spreading the gospel (the story of Christ, died for my sins (your sins), buried and raised from the dead on the third day). Let's run the race together.

"He is the One who goes before you..."

Deuteronomy 31:8
And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.

These were the words that coursed through my mind as I stood amongst the throng of 3000 plus cyclists in San Antonio awaiting our turn to be released for the first 72 miles of 132 mile ride over two days. It was the 20th anniversary of the MS150 (Multiple Sclerosis) formerly Ride to the Beach now Ride to the River. It was my first MS ride. My husband's sixth. I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. This verse that coursed through my mind brought the beginnings of comfort and solace. We started off in the rain, so my nerves were rattled from the point of a being an amateur on wet roads, let alone so many cyclists and such a long ride. I was questioning my preparation for this 132 mile endeavor, are my legs prepared, is my body conditioned for this, did I do enough to get ready? I kept hearing..."I have gone before you"... The way had been prepared for me, the path had been paved, I could trust my Lord to hold me and protect me and shield me from harm. I had done what I could, now the time was at hand to put to the test of my faith. I knew this and it settled in my heart as my legs got warm and I got comfortable cleaning my breaks from time to time of the water on my rims, more comfortable as my fingers clasped loosely over my breaks in the event that I had to break suddenly, steady as the gentle rolling hills slowed me (no hills where I am from!), and a little confident as I passed others in the wind (I am fortunate to get to train in the wind...hahaha). The Lord had indeed gone before me. I completed 72 miles that day with only five miles of whining when my knees spoke very loudly to me. The Lord had indeed gone before me! He had indeed prepared the way for me.

Have you trusted the path (marriage, children, relationships, work, finances, friendships, family) before you to the Lord? Has you heart settled that "He has gone before you"? Ask the Lord to take your anxious heart and settle His word into it, knowing that He will never leave nor forsake you and that He indeed has gone before you.

(As for the second day, well the LORD had indeed gone before me. Mother nature brought lightening, thunder and torrential downpours (flash floods, low water crossings) and forced the MS organizers to cancel the second day. Slightly disappointed that I didn't get to complete the ride and slightly relieved that I didn't have to put my knees to the test. Funny, this has been the driest year in Texas, I have attempted two MS rides and both have been rained out this year. Things that make you go mmmm.....)

"Too Small to Ignore"

I borrowed the title from a book I am finishing up written by Wes Stafford, President and CEO of Compassion International. This book has served as a catalyst in a paradigm shift in not only my thinking but in my heart as well. See, my head has known certain logics and truths for sometime. My first priorities are my God (given), my husband and my children. All else falls behind those that come first. These have been the truths of my head for some years now. Only 'doing' good can certainly distract and take me away from my precious priorities. And it has. A wise woman has shared some pearls of wisdom in the past couple of weeks with me that the Lord has used to do some major overhauls in my disproportionate heart. He showed me how 'doing' good has taken my heart from my priorities. My precious little ones and my husband weren't get the best of me that they deserve and I owe to my Lord. For a year now I have been involved in the Women's ministry at our church and I try to keep my hand in the girls school. Truth is, my daughters, my husband, my home, my clients (two) to pay for tuition are enough. And the Lord has shown me that these are my only God-appointed, God-annointed jobs for this season. Yes, He led me into the Women's Ministry a year ago, but that was for a season. He has closed that season. If I had not followed Him, these truths might had never settled into my heart. Because of Wes Stafford's writings and the Lord's guidance I see my girls through a different set of eyes. I didn't realize I could love them more and more with each passing day. I have found a new depth of patience and love for my daughters. I have felt a new found peace that I didn't know I was missing. I have even found it 'more natural' to be flexible and a little more spontaneous. The ultimate goal of my job is to grow them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Oh, my Lord is so faithful to me, I only long to follow His every lead. I am so thankful for His guidance. Left to me, I would be a mess and everything I touched, too. Praise God for His infinite wisdom.
Oh, and my confirmation after seeds were planted on Friday and my brain raced to realign itself with the new truths in my heart came Saturday morning through my quiet time:

Streams in the Desert 9/4

I longed to walk along an easy road,
And leave behind the dull routine of home,
Thinking in other fields to serve my God;
But Jesus said, "My time has not yet come".

I longed to sow the seed in other soil,
To be unshackled in the work and be free,
To join with other laborers in their toil;
But Jesus said, "It's not My choice for thee".

I longed to leave the desert, and be led
To go work where souls were sunk in sin and shame,
That I might win them; but the Master said,
"I have not called you, publish here My name."

I long to fight the battles of my King,
Lift high His standards in the thickest of strife;
But my Captain had me wait and sing
Songs of His conquests in my quiet life.

I longed to leave the hard and difficult sphere,
Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait,
To feel I had some human helper near,
But Jesus had me guard on lonely gate.

I longed to leave the common daily toil,
Where no one seemed to understand or care;
But Jesus said, "I choose for you this soil,
That you might raise for Me some blossoms rare."

And now I have no longing to do
At home, or far away, His blessed will,
To work amid the many or the few;
Thus "choosing not to choose," my heart is still.

Flexibility versus Control

I was gently reminded that I needed to update my blog. Ok, let me share what my precious Lord has been teaching me about me. My girls go to a small private Christian school 'in town', this is about an eighteen to twenty minute drive one way. Last year my oldest went full days to 3:30pm and my youngest went three days half days getting out at 12:30pm. Needless to say with that schedule I had to be diligent about my time management. Household chores, clients books (small enough to pay tuition), being a mom and wife...etc. Well, the school year began. My oldest full day and my youngest now five days half days. Similar feelings of anxiety weighed on the fringes. I said "Lord, I don't want a repeat of last year." I guess that was my way of asking Him to show me how not to go there again, or He took full advantage of the crack in the door and walked right on in. Anyway, He lovingly showed me that I had been so rigid with my time management that I left no room for flexibility; therefore, burning myself out before the school year was done and loosing my joy along the way and completely took the fun out of being a mom and wife. UGH! To make matters even clearer for me, just in case I didn't get that gentle message, a dear friend told me that was control issues. UH! I like 'lack of flexibility' better. It's gentler. The verse that came to my mind through out this enlightenment was 'the heart of a man devises his plans but the Lord directs his steps'. I felt the Lord tell me 'its ok that you plan your days, but you need to leave room for me and my work and not get irritable when you can't mark everything off your list.' Another dear friend shared a devotion with me that said if we are filled with the Spirit (fruit of the Spirit) there is no room for irritability, impatience, etc. OUCH! No one ever said that growing was painless.

My dear friends that is what the Lord and I are working on together. Where are you at? Do you plan your days? Do you allow the Spirit to work in the mist of you and use you? If you have children, they are only little once. They are number one God-appointed God-annointed job. Ask the Lord to show you where you might have 'control issues' where you might could exercise some flexibility. The growing is worth every stretch. Go for it!