GodandMe2theMax

Monday Memory Verse - Psalm 17:8 - It's all about perspective

Psalm 16:8 
"I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

I don't know about you, but I had a pretty rough week last week.  My time with the Lord was minutes and moments instead of the normal quality time.  I slept very little and couldn't seem to catch my breath, due to my work schedule, and I didn't even master memorizing last week's verse until Sunday.  I started two different blogs, but I never finished either, and I worked more hours than I can count.  Needless to say, I'm exhausted, and it starts all over again on Monday. 

Every year, I encounter a few crazy weeks like this last week.  Life runs out of control, my clients demand more than I can give, my priorities slip, and if I'm honest with myself, I get the 'poor me's', feeling like I'm trapped in the worst situation on the planet.

This week, I wanted to pick a verse to memorize and focus on that would help me keep my perspective, and Psalm 16:8 is where the Lord led me.  Too often, I let my circumstances shake me.  No, they don't "shake me" where I question God, but I do let them shake me to the point that I become weary.  I try to do things in my own strength instead of relying on God for my strength.  In the craziness of the work week, I neglect to put the Lord first, and I forget that no matter what, He is right there next to me.  When I'm working until 3 in the morning, He's there. He's always awake when I am awake, and no matter how tired I am, I serve a God who never slumbers or sleeps. (Psalm 121:3-4)

It's all about perspective, you know?  There is always someone worse off than me, working harder than me, and more tired and exhausted than I am.  There is always someone in a much worse situation than me.  This week, I'm going to really focus on "setting the Lord always before me," "remembering He is at at my right hand," and resolving that "I will not be shaken!"

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Monday Memory Verse - I Corinthians 12:12 Saved and Gifted to Serve...not to Sit and Soak

I Corinthians 12:12 

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts: and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ."

As I prayed about the next verse to memorize this week, the Lord brought me to this passage in I Corinthians 12.  The words in the verse aren't ones that necessarily instantly speak to my heart, like some of the past week's verses. Yet, if I am to continue on my spiritual growth journey, they are ones that I need to examine and apply to my life.

Take some time to read through I Corinthians 12.  It deals with the area of spiritual gifts.  (See also Romans 12, Ephesians 4, and I Peter 4:10-11.)  Spiritual gifts are gifts given to each person by the Holy Spirit at the point that they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.  These gifts or special abilities are to be used to minister to the needs of the body of believers.  Some people have multiple spiritual gifts, and not one gift is better than the other.  The important thing to remember is that the purpose of them is to build up Christ's body.

What is Christ's body here on earth?  It's The Church.  It's you. It's me.  It's anyone who has made a personal commitment to the Lord.  It's filled with many different parts like the verse says -- aka people -- no two are alike.  All these people jointly should be working together to help the church run smoothly.  What happens when a piece breaks on your car?  If it's a muffler, it still runs, but it definitely does not run as smoothly.  If it's the radiator, it overheats.  If it's the engine, it stops running all together.  What happens when an infection breaks out in your body?  If gone untreated, it can attack and destroy all other parts of your body, including your liver, lungs, and heart, resulting ultimately in death.  Why would I expect the church to be any different?  If every person isn't doing their part, functioning as God intended, the church will not run efficiently.  It's a living, breathing organism that  must have all its parts working together.

We are not given gifts just to say we have them.  Think about it.  If you give a gift to someone you love dearly, and they never use it, how would that make you feel?  The Holy Spirit gives us gifts so we can use them to build up His body of believers.  Yet, the church is filled with Christians who have no idea what their spiritual gift(s) are and many people just come to church for what they can get out of it, instead of what they can give and invest into it.

If you are a Christian and do not know what your spiritual gifts are, I strongly encourage you to take an online Spiritual Gifts Analysis.  You can find one at www.churchgrowth.org, and it will suggest what areas you might have spiritual gifts in.  If you already know what your Spiritual gifts are, take it again.  As you grow as a Christian, you may become stronger in some areas, with some becoming more prominent than in the past.  Once you've identified the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you, find a way to use them in the church.  Ask your pastor.  I'm sure there's not a waiting list for areas to serve. 

The website www.24-7discipleship.com has a lesson dedicated to spiritual gifts.  The action plan in the lesson has some great points:  "Evaluate the current ministries that you are involved with. What spiritual gifts are best suited for that role?  Do these gifts match yours?  If you are frustrated, discouraged, or having difficulty seeing “success” in what you are doing, it may be because of a mismatch of spiritual gifts—you are doing something that you really are not gifted to do.  Try to objectively evaluate the ministry or ministries that you are engaged in and ask God to show you if you are in the right place.  As Christians, we often say “yes” to every ministry request we get when we really aren’t gifted for the role.  This results in frustration for everyone involved and often leads to burn-out."

I can't help but think about the Casting Crowns song "If We are the Body."  The words are so powerful and go right along with the memory verse for this week. 

"If We Are The Body"

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus payed much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

Jesus is the way

How I wish every Christian would realize the need to "find their fit" in the church.  Too many people are sitting and soaking when they were saved to serve.  This week's verse has really made me start to pray about my involvement in church, to be sure I'm doing exactly what God wants me to do right now.  I hope that you will do the same as you memorize I Corinthians 12:12 this week!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

I Kings 17:7-24 - A little oil, a little flour, obedience, and faith...and a couple of miracles, too

I Kings 17:7-24 

7) Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land.  8) Then the word of the Lord came to him:  9) "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.  I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."  10) So he went to Zarephath.  When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks.  He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"  11) As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."  12) "As surely as the Lord your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread -- only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug.  I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and for my son, that we may eat it -- and die."13) Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid.  Go home and do as you have said.  But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and for your son.  14) For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.'"  15)  So she went away and did as Elijah had told her.  So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.  16)  For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.  17)  Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill.  He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.  18)  She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God?"  Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"  19)  "Give me your son," Elijah replied.  He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on the bed.  20) Then he cried out to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"  21) Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this boy's life return to him!"  22) The Lord heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.  23) Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house.  He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" 24) Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."

Miracles in the Bible are an amazing thing.  Sometimes, though, I tend to overlook other parts of the story and focus on the miracle.  Did you ever wonder why Jesus often instructed his followers in the New Testament to go away and not tell anyone what they had seen?  I think it was because Jesus wanted the followers and observers to focus on His words and teachings and not on the miracles He was performing.  This story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath offer some key truths to apply to my life, beyond the pure fact that God does miracles!

Let's start at the beginning of the story.  There was a famine in the land.  The water source had dried up.  There was no rain.  Now, Elijah was a prophet.  It was required by law for the Jewish nation to take care of their prophets.  Yet, God had other plans for caring for Elijah.  He sent him to a foreign land.  Stop and think about it.  Elijah had to move out of his comfort zone and cross cultural barriers to obey God. 

Sound familiar?  Have you ever had a time when God told you to prepare to travel internationally doing missions work?  I remember when I was in college and had the opportunity to apply to go to Kenya for a semester of cross-cultural learning.  Completing that application was perhaps the scariest thing I had ever done up to that point in my life.   (All I knew was that I am bug-phobic, and there were plenty of bugs in Africa!)  But I knew God was asking me to take a step of faith to see if this was His will for my life.  Ultimately, I was not chosen for the program, but just filling out the application was a huge step of faith for me, one that ultimately made it easier for me to willingly and excitedly participate in international mission work down the road. 

I find it interesting that God used a very unlikely character to meet the needs of Elijah.  God didn't send Elijah over to a rich ruler of a foreign land to meet his needs.  He sent him to a poor widow who was out gathering sticks so she could make one last meal for her and her son...and die.  Can you think of a time when the Lord has used an unlikely person to meet your needs?  There was a period of time in my life that my husband and I worked for a missions agency.  Our salary was faith-based support...if we didn't raise it, we didn't get paid.  There has been countless times that people have ministered to us in our time of financial and physical need...people we would never have even asked because we dismissed them as struggling themselves.  God not only uses people we don't suspect, but He also uses people who are willing.

Can you imagine the look on the widow's face when interacting with Elijah?  OK, it's one thing to fetch after some water for a stranger you don't know, but I can almost see her rolling her eyes when Elijah said, "Oh, and one more thing, while you're getting me water, can you also bring me some bread?"  We already know the widow was out collecting sticks for her last meal.  She had resolved that she was about to die.  She must have been depressed.  Yet, she was willing to serve a stranger by getting him water before she went home to die.  Perhaps she considered it her 'last good deed.'  At this point, she did not believe in the one true God, Elijah's God.  I see that in verse twelve as she replied to Elijah, "As surely as the Lord YOUR God lives..."  Yet, she allowed herself to be used.  I wonder how many missed opportunities I have had in my life because I have not been willing to serve sacrificially.  Colossians 4:5 tells me to "be wise in the way I act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."  I can learn a few things from the attitude of this widow!

When Elijah told the widow that her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run dry until it rained again, what did she do?  Did she stop and ask him if he was sure?  Did she stop and think about it?  After all, that's about the craziest thing anyone could say to a woman about to die during a famine!  But, the Bible says she went away and did as Elijah told her to do.  She did not question the prophet.  I wish I had the faith of this widow!  When I think God is telling me to do something, sometimes I feel like I need to pray longer or ask God for more confirmation or question if I understand what He is saying to me.  Yes, if I am not sure of what He's telling me to do, I do need more clarification and there's nothing wrong with those things.  But sometimes I know what He's asking me to do, and it's big, and I'm afraid...and sometimes it's just easier to pray about it longer than to 'just do it!'  The task was clear to the widow.  She took the first step of faith with the act of obedience, and God did (and continued to do) a miracle of provision each day.

If only the story stopped there, but it doesn't.  Reality set in.  You see, just because God does a miracle intervention in our life doesn't mean that we aren't going to have trouble and hardship in the future.  Life happens, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  The widow was obedient to God and did just as she was commanded to do, but life took a turn for the worse.  Her beloved son became sick and died. 

At this point, the widow did not yet believe in the God of Elijah.  Yet, her first response was questioning if God allowed this to happen because of her sin.  Elijah then took the boy, prayed over him three times, and the Lord brought air back to his lungs.  Finally, the widow believed.  Verse twenty-four says "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth!"  Did you ever wonder why it took her so long to believe?  She had seen God do miracle after miracle, day after day, by allowing her flour and oil to never run dry.  Yet, it was not until she had lost and regained what she held most dear, that she believed.  Her eyes were opened and she saw the truth.  I wonder how many times I'm blind to the truth of God working in my life.  How many times do I miss Him?  After the fact, it's a litte easier to look back and see how God had been working all along.  Perhaps that's the same thing that happened to the widow.  After her son was healed, she looked back and realized it was only because of God that she and her son even had life.

Yes, sometimes God does allow things to happen in our lives because of sin, like the widow's first thought.  (Personal evaluation of the sin in our life is always a good thing!)  But not every bad thing we experience is because of sin in our lives.  I think it's important to remember that every situation I face is new, and I need to rely on God for the outcome of the current problem at hand.  Just because God healed me from cancer three years ago doesn't mean it's not going to come back at some point in the future.  Just like the widow, even when God does a miracle in my life doesn't mean that my problems are over.  "God's provision is never given in order to let us rest upon it.  We need to depend on Him as each new trial faces us." (Footnote for verse 17 in the NIV Life Application Bible)

So today I see a couple of miracles in this story that speak to God's provision and care for those He loves.  Yes, I see the miracles, but more so, I see the character of Elijah to go to a foreign land.  I see the faith of a widow to obey, even though she didn't even believe in the one true God.  I'm reminded that serving God and living my life for Him does not mean the absence of problems.  Sometimes I am too comfortable where I am.  I'm not stretching my spiritual wings.  God always wants me to keep growing, keep obeying, and keep acting in faith.  Today I'm asking God to help me remember this story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath.  It goes a lot deeper than two miracles, that's for sure.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Great lessons from 2 Kings 5 - Thanks to 24-7Discipleship.com

My husband Frank and Maxpoint Ministries (www.Maxpoint.org) have developed an incredible Bible Study and discipleship tool that can be found at www.24-7Discipleship.com.  It incorporates video, a daily Bible Study and Scripture application, personal journal, along with a quote for the day and prayer.  It's a systematic way to help grow your faith, all based through the internet.  If you haven't checked it out, please do so - it's free!  It doesn't matter where you are in your Spiritual walk, whether you've not yet made a commitment to the Lord or whether you've been a Christian a long time, this website is designed for you.  Some of the direction for my blogs is taken from the Scripture application found on the site, and this one, specifically, uses the first five key points from the story of Naaman and Elisha.  The Lord really hit these home with me as I studied it in more depth, and I wanted to share them in my blog today.

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In 2 Kings 5, I see some fascinating truths I can apply to my own life.  The chapter is short -- take some time to read through it this morning.  It's one of those stories you heard over and over in Sunday School growing up, but one with full application as an adult, too.

This is the story of a man named Naaman who was the commander of an army of the King of Aram.  He was a valiant soldier, but he had a big problem -- leprosy.  One of Naaman's band of soldiers had captured a Jewish girl to be the servant to Naaman's wife.  Her name isn't even mentioned in the Bible, yet she played a pivotal role in the story.  She spoke up, with complete bravery, and said, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!  He would cure him of his leprosy!"  Word got to Naaman about this statement, as well as the King of Aram.  The King prepared a letter and sent Naaman to the King of Israel, bearing gifts in exchange for healing.  The King of Israel nearly turned him away, telling him that he was not God.  He thought they were trying to start a war because he would not be able to heal him.  However, when Elisha the prophet heard about it, he told the king of Israel to send Naaman to him.

"Go wash yourself in the Jordan seven times, and you will be healed," Elisha told Naaman.  Now, Naaman was a great war hero.  He was outraged when Elisha treated him like an ordinary guy.  He thought at least Elisha would wave his hand over him and heal him, or even if Elisha told him to go wash in a great river...but to dip seven times in the Jordan?  Naaman was too proud for that.  Naaman may have left in a rage, but it didn't take long for his servants to speak truth into his life.  In the end, Naaman humbled himself and washed in the Jordan river.  After the seventh time up, his skin was like that of a young boy!  He tried to give Elisha the gifts that he had brought, but Elisha told him, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing."

What a great story - yes?  But it doesn't end there.  There's a side note that we often don't focus on.  Gehazi, the servant of Elisha said to himself that they were too easy on Naaman.  He ran back after Naaman and told him, "My master sent me to ask for money and clothes."  Of course, Naaman, being ever so grateful for what the God of Israel had just done for him, gave it to him.  When Elisha saw Gehazi, he said, "Where have you been?"  Gehazi knew he was caught in the act, but he still tried to lie his way out of it, "Your servant didn't go anywhere," he said.  But Elisha was no fool.  He told Gehazi that "Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever."  Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, white as snow.

What truths can I learn from this Old Testament story today?  There are many, but here's just a few...

1.  God was working in and through Naaman's life, long before he knew it. 
Naaman was a proud man.  He struggled with this terrible disease, and it was the thorn in his flesh.  From my understanding of leprosy, you were usually cast out of the city if you had it.  That alone gives some insight into the kind of respect Naaman had within the city of Aram.  He not only was not cast out of the city, but he also was a venerable wealthy leader.  His wife had servants...and not just any servant, one special girl that God would use to change Naaman's life forever.

2.  God used a young servant girl to impact Naaman's life.
How would this story have changed if that young Jewish girl would never have spoken up for God?  She had complete faith that God would use the prophet Elisha to heal Naaman.  Surely, the servant girl could have been punished for her faith, yet she spoke with boldness.  We really don't have a story to read about without this supporting character.   It makes me think -- How many times do I miss an opportunity to speak up for God?  How many times does a story go untold because I didn't follow through and speak up for the One I love and believe in? 

3.  Elisha pro-actively sought ministry.
When the King of Israel tore his clothes and became so upset at the request to heal Naaman, Elisha could have said nothing.  However, that's not what happened.  Elisha heard about it, and took action.  How many times do I miss ministry opportunity because I hear about it second-hand and think there's nothing more I can do?  More times than I could count, and perhaps many more times than I am even aware.  I hear about a friend's friend who is sick with cancer.  I hear about a co-worker's family member going through a rough time.  No, I am not a prophet like Elisha that I can heal them or fix their situation, but I do know a God who can.  Maybe it's just sending them a note or email, giving them encouragement that God is in control.  Maybe it's calling them on the phone and letting them know I'm praying for them.  Maybe it's offering money to people I don't even know.  But, Elisha's story tells me that I need to pro-actively seek ministry opportunities.  What impact for the kingdom could take place if I followed through with just an inkling of ministry in all the sad situations I hear about every day?  Endless.

4.  Elisha allowed Naaman to exercise his own faith.
This is paramount.  Naaman could have said, "Go away from me, and you're healed."  Yet, Naaman had to have some skin in the game.  It would have taken no faith at all to walk away being healed, except the faith to approach the prophet...and even then, his full intention was to buy him off with gifts in exchange for healing!  But Naaman, full of pride and self will, could not accept the simple cure of faith.  Sometimes people react to God's offer of forgiveness in the same way.  Somehow just BELIEVING isn't significant enough.  Yet, all we have to do is humbly accept God's mercy, like Naaman.  When we humble ourselves, tell God that we cannot do it on our own, that we need Him and his free gift of salvation, we are Spiritually healed, parallel to Naaman's physical healing.

5.  Our purpose in ministry should always be to glorify God and not enrich ourselves.
Elisha was steadfast in his decision - "I will not accept a thing!"  Would it have been wrong to accept the gifts Naaman brought?  That's a tough question, one I'm not sure of the answer.  But to Elisha, he felt it was wrong.  He didn't minister to Naaman to get something back, he ministered because it was the right thing to do.  His motives were pure.  How many times do we make decisions with a 'back story' in our brain, how if I do this, then this might happen?  Or if I make this contact, then I may be able to gain some notoriety about this other matter?  Some of that is just plain being smart about networking, but at the same time, it's important to analyze my motives when doing ministry.  Pure ministry takes place when I expect nothing in return.

Recently my husband and I spoke at a marriage retreat.  Because of the situation, we decided ahead of time that we would not accept payment for the retreat.  We committed to it, and we knew that was what God wanted us to do.  When they tried to give us the check, we handed it back to them.  Little did we know that what we thought was going to be maybe $100 or $150 turned into $1000.  We're thankful we found out about the amount after we refused to accept the gift.  The decision to stick with how God was leading us may have been a little harder.  The BIble says a labor is worthy of their hire, but at the same time, we need to pray about our motives in ministry.  Elisha had none, except that God would be honored above everything else.  True service is motivated by love and devotion to God and does not seek personal gain.  It's a good reminder to me to check my motives.  I can't serve God and money (Matthew 6:24)

6.  Be sure your sins will find you out.
The story of Gehazi is one I could spend a lot of time on.  He saw a perfect opportunity to get rich and he could not believe Elisha passed it by.  It was like Elisha had the winning lottery ticket and wouldn't turn it in.  So what did he do?  He ran after Naaman.  1.) He willingly accepted the money that had been offered to someone else.  2) He wrongly implied that the money could be exchanged for God's free gift of healing and mercy.  3) He lied, and tried to cover up his motives for accepting the money. 4) He got caught in the act and paid for it severely.  Not only was he struck with leprosy, but the Bible says that him and all his descendants FOREVER would struggle with this terrible disease.  What a legacy.  Gehazi's story makes me think about the decision I am making and what kind of legacy I am leaving for my family.  Are they going to look back at me and point to one whimsical split decision that ruined my life and theirs, too?  Wow, it really makes me think about every decision I make and how it can impact my family to come. 

I wonder, which character in this story do I most resemble?  Am I like the servant girl, unafraid to tell people about MY GOD?  Am I like Naaman, a proud person, almost able to pass the biggest opportunity of my life because it seemed to menial for me?  Am I like Elisha, willing to engage in ministry opportunity, no matter what it is?  Or am I like Gehazi, with selfish ambition and a heart not leaning toward the Lord.

My prayer this morning is that the Lord would cause me to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity He brings into my life and that He would enable me to see how my life fits into the bigger picture of His eternal plan.  I'm so thankful that the Old Testament is still valuable and applicable to our lives today!  Sometimes I forget to look for the personal application in the stories, and thanks to 24-7Discipleship.com, I didn't miss it this morning!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse - 2 Corinthians 6:3 - Forward progress!

2 Corinthians 6:3  "We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited."

This week, we're learning 2 Corinthians 6:3, but I challenge you to read the entire chapter of 2 Corinthians 6 before starting to memorize.  Verse 3 gives us direction on how to live our lives in a nutshell, but the following verses give practical application on replacing the negative with the positive. 

Verse 3...short and sweet...yet these seventeen words make a powerful statement and challenge to me as I live my life.  Let's look at the context.  Paul, formerly known as Saul - chief persecutor of the Jews - knew perhaps more than anyone how his actions could negatively or positively impact people's decision about Christ.  After his conversion, in everything he did, Paul considered what his actions communicated about God.

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path...
Stumbling block.  I've heard that term many times in my Christian walk, but writing a definition for it isn't as easy.  What is it?  A "stumbling block" is something that causes us to err or stray from the truth.  It's an obstacle, hindrance, or difficulty that stands in the way of understanding or forward progress.  In practical terms, it's something that you encounter on your path that causes you to trip.

Paul is telling us here that we should live our lives so that we don't cause anyone else to 'trip' on their spiritual journey, or worse yet, decide to not even start their spiritual journey because of our actions.  (How many times have you heard someone say, "And they're supposed to be a Christian!"  This is usually said when the Christian has acted as a stumbling block to that person.

There is a very fine line here between legalism and freedom in Christ.  Because I choose to not partake of something that another Christian chooses to partake of does not mean that I am any more holy or Godly than that person.  Example:  I grew up thinking that going to movies was evil and sinful, because it was 'of the world.'  However, as I've matured in my faith, I believe there is freedom in Christ.  Living as a Christian does not mean following a list of "do's and don'ts."  The convictions I have from the Lord may be different from another Christan's convictions.  That doesn't mean that my brothers/sisters in Christ have a better or worse relationship with God than I do or that they are closer to the Lord than I am.  Paul admonishes us in this verse that whatever actions we take in our life, we need to be sure they don't cause others to stop their forward progress.  The important thing to remember is that I must constantly be communicating with my God asking for direction in my life as to what I should do and how I should live my life.  It's personal, based on God's direction and speaking to each of us,  If I am doing this, then I will not be a stumbling block to others.

...so that our ministry will not be discredited.
From the point that I committed my life to Christ by asking Him to come into my life, take control, and forgive me of my sins, I became a minister for God.  No, I may not be in the 'full time' vocational ministry, but I am in the 'full time' ministry...for God.  In the course of each day, non Christians observe me.  It's important that I don't let my careless or undisciplined actions be a person's excuse for rejecting Christ.  My job is to monitor my life to be sure it matches Christ's...not to monitor or judge the lives of others.

God's challenge to me this week is to be in better communication with Him.  I want to live my life based on how He's directing me, not based on a list of do's and don'ts that have been handed down to me from my upbringing or Christian teaching.  I'm asking Him to help me not be judgmental of other Christians who do not hold the same convictions as me, but to be solely convinced of His will for my life and to live my life accordingly.  As I do that, I know He will help me live out this verse - to not be a stumbling block to others
---to not stop another person's forward progress with the Lord---and to not discredit my ministry and representation of the Lord by my actions.  Seventeen short words and a huge task to undertake!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

"Attitude Check!" from Psalm 55

Excerpts from Psalm 55 

 "Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea.  Hear me and answer me.  My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the snares of the wicked...My heart is in anguish within me...Fear and trembling has beset me; horror has overwhelmed me...I said, 'Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!   I would fly away and be at rest -- I would flee far away and stay in the desert.  I would hurry to my place of shelter far from the tempest and storm!' ...If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.  But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God...But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.  Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.  He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.  God, who is enthroned forever, will hear them and afflict them...Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.  He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in you."

Have you ever had a time you wanted to just run away?  When the pressure of the world and the problems you are facing are so great, you become numb and can't even function?  I have been there many times.  There's been times when the weight on my shoulders seems so great that I can't possibly take on or do another thing.  I'm pulled in so many directions that all I want to do is escape from LIFE itself.  There's been times that I have had a spiritual meltdown because I just don't feel like I can take the pressure any longer.  David, the great King, mighty warrior, and friend of God experienced the same thing.  He said in Psalm 55 "I wish I had wings and could fly so far away - to a place of shelter away from the storm!" 

I love the fact that David was honest with God.  His approach to God in this passage was with pure vulnerability.  He didn't say, "Oh dear God, please give me strength as I face this mountain in my life."  On the contrary, he told God exactly how he felt.  He said he wanted to run away!  As I think about this, I am convicted that sometimes I approach God in my prayer time without vulnerability.  Sometimes I put on the "spiritual" Beth when I'm talking to Him, telling Him what I know He wants to hear.  But God wants honesty from me.  It's only when I'm honest with Him and myself that He can start to work on me and change me. 

After David pours out his heart to God about how he really feels, it seems the Lord gives Him peace.  The Lord didn't take away the problem, but David's attitude toward the problem seemed to change.  Verses sixteen and seventeen says, "But I call to God, and He saves me.  Evening, morning, and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice."  Do you see the attitude change in David? 

When my kids were little and having a problem with their attitude, all I had to say was "Attitude Check!"  I taught them that their response when I said that should be "Praise the Lord!"  I think David had a similar reminder from the Lord.  He had an attitude check.  At one moment, he's telling God that he wants to grow some wings and fly far away from the problems he's facing.  Then he realizes the truth.  God is there, and He's going to help him through the problem, no matter how big it is.  Not only does he realize the truth once, but he continues in the truth.  He didn't just call out to God about the problem once, he called out evening, morning, and noon.  He kept talking to God about it!  God doesn't want us to bear our burdens alone.  Only God has the strength that can sustain us and help us get through, but we have to do our part to bring it to God faithfully - morning, noon, night!  As long as it takes!

Then finally, in verses 22-23, David says "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...but as for me, I trust in you."  I love that we see the human David here.  We see how God changed his heart of distress and turmoil to be a heart of peace and trust.  God didn't change the circumstances, only David's response to them.

I can sure learn a valuable life lesson from David this morning.  Call out to God with pure honesty, without pretension.  Tell him exactly how I feel. Continue to seek Him constantly.  Accept His peace.  Make a choice to trust.  Trust that God is in control and He's going to help me through this and every situation, no matter how difficult it might seem at the moment.  Sometimes I just need to ask God to give me an 'attitude check!"

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Shine like stars in the universe...

Philippians 2:12-17  “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.  Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”

On a clear night, you can look up into the sky and see hundreds of stars.  But, think about all the stars we know about but cannot see.  There are thousands and thousands out there, yet we only see just a few with our eyes.  Some of them shine brighter than all the rest in the sky, too.  Why is it that we can see some stars and we can’t see others?  Why is it that some stars shine brighter than the others?  Now, I’m no expert astronomer, but I believe it has something to do with the amount of energy burning in the star.

This got me thinking.  Philippians tells me that as a child of God, I should shine like the stars in the universe.  Using the parallel, how does that happen?  It’s only by having The Energy – Christ – constantly burning within me.  Yes, once we’ve asked Him to come into our life and save us, He’s always there and promises to never leave (Hebrews 13:5) but it’s up to me to let Him burn brightly within me.

This passage is a good reminder to me to keep burning brightly for the Lord.  I can't become complacent.  I have to be always on my guard to be sure my actions and lifestyle are consistent with what the Bible teaches.  If I am living my life the way God instructs me in these verses --exercising my salvation, living a life without complaining or arguing, blameless and pure, without fault-- my star, Jesus within me, will shine brightly in the universe.  That's what being a Christian is about - shining for the Lord!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Monday Memory Verse - Zephaniah 3:17 - Did you know God smiles while He sings us a soothing love song?

Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you; He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah?  Yes, Zephaniah, the fourth to last book of the Old Testament.  It's a book I rarely turn to when seeking the Lord.  OK, actually, it's a book I've never turned to, except when reading through the entire Bible in a Bible-reading plan.  Yet through my quiet time this week, God led me to this little-read book. 

Zephaniah was a prophet, and it's a book that was written to the Jews to exhort them to return to God and stop being complacent.  So if the book was written to the Jews, does it still apply to me?  Yes, I believe so.  God has a special plan for all people, and I believe He loves us all equally with endless love.  If the Bible says He does something for a group of people, I believe we can gather that He will do it for all of us.

Let's break the verse down...

The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.
God is with us.  That's a fact most Christians know, yet those who are without Christ frequently try to deny.  But the Bible says in Psalm 46:1 that "He is an ever-present help in times of trouble."  This verse says He is with us, period.  He is there in the good times and in the bad. 

The word "mighty" is a term of battle.  It implies a powerful warrior or champion.  The word "save" goes along with the same thought.  It means to free, defend, deliver, help, rescue, or get victory. 

Yes, my God is so strong and powerful and such an amazing champion of all things that He can free me from sin that I'm entangled in, He can deliver me, help me, rescue me, and in the ultimate end, He will have the victory over everything.  He is MIGHTY to SAVE!  Those words definitely conjure up new images for me as I sing that song "Mighty to Save!"

He will take great delight in you.
God takes great delight in His creation.  In Genesis, after He created man, God didn't just say it was good...He says it was VERY good.  I know God delights in us, like a Father who loves His children.  But sometimes we as children do things to disappoint our Father.  Does He still love us and delight in us in the truest sense of the word?  Yes, but is that delight even more enhanced when we are living out our lives the way He would expect us to?  I believe so.  If you're a parent, you perhaps can better understand the parent-child relationship of love and delight...when your child does something that makes you so proud you are about to burst, you want everyone to know about it.  But when your child makes a really poor choice, you still love and delight in them, but definitely not to the same degree.  When I think about God delighting in me, I'm humbled to the lowest degree.  I don't deserve it, yet He loves me that much!  It frazzles my mind.

He will quiet you with His love.  He will rejoice over you with singing.
These two sentences give me such insight into the tenderness of God.  How many times have you held a screaming baby, tight in your arms, trying to comfort him with song, kisses, and lullabies?  Countless times for me.  Sometimes to get a baby to stop crying, you have to raise your voice and almost yell to get his attention.  Then the baby stops crying long enough to listen to you tenderly sing to him, snuggle him, and love on him. 

That's the imagery I see in this verse.  God will quiet us with His love.  When life is screaming out of control, we just have to listen strong enough for Him to sing over us "Hush little baby, don't you cry, Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby."  Somehow in all my Christian walk, I just never pictured God as a singer.  Maybe I've been taught this verse before and have forgotten, but the thought of this great and mighty warrior combined with the vulnerability of singing is an amazing combination. 

Not only does God sing over us, He does it with a smile on His face.  The verse says he rejoices over us with singing.  Have you ever wondered why most human renditions of Jesus reflect Him with a serious look on His face?  It's rare I see a picture of Jesus smiling.  But I think God smiles a lot more than we realize.  How can those two words--rejoince and singing--go together with the absence of a smile?  I don't think they can. 

I am so excited about committing this verse to memory this week.  I feel like God has shown me a golden nugget of truth that I didn't realize before.  I see in greater depth how God is my Daddy.  Sometimes I am screaming too loud to hear Him next to me, soothing me, singing over me.  My prayer this week is that I will delight in Him so He will delight even more in me.  I am praying that I will be quiet enough to listen to His lullabies and smile back at Him with the same love He has smiling at me.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

REST...is it eluding you?

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

When I went to bed last night, late into the evening and exhausted from a crazy schedule this week, I prayed.  I begged God to give me a good quiet time with Him this morning so that I could be refreshed and renewed.  He never fails, and His timing is perfect.  He led me to these verses in Matthew.

Do you ever feel like you're on a leash, being yanked around by someone else?  Go here.  Do this.  Call me back.  I need you to help me...  That's how I've felt all week.  As I rolled out of bed this morning, I could hardly read the Bible because my eyes were so dry and blurry.  I've put in a lot of hours at work and a lot of hours at home, and the sad thing is that I'm not nearly even caught up in either location!

Jesus says, "Come to me, and I will give you rest!"  It's another formula found in God's Word, and I just love simple and straightforward things like this.  What kind of excuses do you give God for not spending time with Him each day?  "I'm too busy."  "I'm too tired."  "My day was so full from start to finish that I forgot and by the time I remembered, I was too exhausted."   "I planned on doing it after the kids went to bed, but then..."   We all can come up with the best excuses, at least they sound good to us!  A lot of them surround being too tired or too busy.  But what we fail to remember (or perhaps failed to learn in the first place) is that Jesus says all we have to do is come to Him, and that's where we are going to find the rest we need. 

The verse says to take His yoke on us and learn from Him.  When we accept Christ as our personal Savior, He takes our yoke -- our sin and the demands of this world and replaces it with His yoke, filled with love, healing, peace, and REST.  It's only by spending time with Him that we learn from Him and get 'energized' with enough rest to face the day.  God always reminds me of truths I've learned in the past just when I need it the most...like today!  I'm thankful that even in busy weeks like this, REST is not an elusive thing.  All I have to do is run to Him and find it. 

-Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

A Lesson from a canvas up in a tree...

A few years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to take an all expense paid trip without our children to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  One afternoon, we were able to go out shopping in the village.  As we walked up and down the crowded street, watching people selling their wares, something struck me.  Up in a tree, was a canvas of a Haitian woman.  I walked by it several times until I couldn't get the image out of my mind.  I walked back and looked up in the tree again.  The artist portrayed the Haitian woman's eyes as full of despair and literally the gateway to her soul.  I couldn't help but think of the verse in Psalms 42:11 "Why are you cast down, O my soul?  Why are you disquieted within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God."  Of course I bought that canvas, and until the movers broke the glass I had framed it in, it hung on my wall, a constant reminder of this verse.

As I read in Psalm 42 this morning, I'm reminded of that story, but I'm also struck with the end of the verse...one that perhaps I've never paid so much attention to in the past.  "...for I will yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God."  I am enamored by that phrase - God is the health of my countenance!  When I am walking with God and spending time with Him, it shows on the outside!  I look healthy, vibrant, full of life.

I'm thankful I don't struggle with depression, but there are so many people in this world that do.  Some truly have a bio-chemical medical condition.  (End of subject - no debate!)  Others, however, struggle because of a heart condition.  They are so downcast about their life struggles that they just can't give it over to God.  They know He's there, but somehow it's just too hard to let God carry the burden for them.  Do you know those kind of people?  You can see it in their eyes - their pain and sorrow, much like I saw in the canvas of the Haitian woman. 

No, I may not struggle with depression, but I surely struggle with other sins in my life, and this verse speaks just as loudly to me.  The closer I walk with God, the more He points out areas in my life that require change. 

I want people to look at my eyes and my countenance and see that I'm different - because of Christ and what He's done in my life.  In order for that to happen, my eyes need to be fixed on Him and not on me. I need to allow Him the key to the inner places of my heart so that He can begin to bring about "health" and change me as He wants.  I pray for 'change' every day, and not the political kind, the personal kind!

Lord, let my eyes be the gateway to my soul so that others can see you clearly in my life!

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com