Day 35

"And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:" 1 Kings 2:3

When I read this verse, it sounded very familiar... I had heard it in Joshua 1:7- "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest." The verse in 1 Kings is King David's charge to his son Solomon. David was dying and Solomon was getting ready to take the throne as king of Israel. The verse in Joshua was given to Joshua by God just before he was to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. God wanted both of these men to be prosperous in what they were about to do and where His will for their lives was taking them.

God wants you to be prosperous as well. He wants you to succeed in that which He calls you to do. So he tells us how that this will happen. In both verses God gives us the key... and condition... to being prosperous wherever we go. "Walk in His ways, keep His statues, commandments, judgments, and testimonies. In other words... be obedient to His commands and you will prosper wherever you are. Do you want to be prosperous wherever you go? Then obey His commands.

From My House to Yours,

Cathie

Day 34

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV 1984)

Has your trust ever been shattered by someone you love? A few years ago I was faced with a very unsettling situation. I was shocked when I learned of hidden sin that had spun its way into the life of someone I care about deeply.

For weeks, I pleaded with God on my knees for an explanation, for understanding, for clarity. My sense of reality had been threatened and betrayed. I desperately cried out, “What is real Lord? Tell me what is real. Because what I thought was real may not be.”

One night as I went to bed, I tried to make peace with the fact that maybe I was never supposed to understand this devastating circumstance. There were many questions, but few answers. Many thoughts, but few explanations. The next morning, during my quiet time, the Lord gently began to reveal some answers to my wounded heart.

I was reminded of my need for Him – my never-ending, all-consuming need for Him. Too often I take my eyes off of the Lord and attempt to live difficult situations in my own strength. Colossians 3:1-2 profoundly challenged me, “Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (NIV 1984). Unfortunately, my focus had shifted to my questions and myself. And apart from God, my focus had become distorted.

I was reminded that I needed to continue to seek the Lord and patiently wait for what He had in store. I began to beg the Lord to take this hurt away. Make it disappear, Lord. But then I’d sense Him saying to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). By admitting my frailty, God was able to affirm His strength in me.

And finally, He pointed me to what is real. He gently reminded me that He is real. My God is real. Though on this earth I will face many stressful situations, many disappointments, and many hurts, I know that my God is real and He will never leave me. I once again found loving comfort in the words from Moses to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (NIV 1984). I knew I had to completely depend on God and believe in His goodness.

My assignment in this difficult circumstance was clear. The Lord was asking me to continue to pray, believe, trust, seek, wait and focus on Him and Him alone. I am so thankful that nothing will ever separate me from His unfailing love. And THAT my friend is real.

From My House to Yours,

Cathie

reprinted from my morning devotion today!

Day 33

So many people today are looking for meaningful relationships, yet so few actually find them. My mother use to tell me to count myself lucky if I had just one “close friend.” That’s because close life-long relationships are hard to come by. Since we are becoming an increasingly private society, it seems that fewer people than ever actually have life-long intimate friends. Still, the desire for this kind of relationship is not only sought after, but necessary.

Women are naturally drawn to other women. In fact, a girl’s first experience with heartache may have been over a lost “best friend” rather than a “boyfriend.” Women value friendships. When they are lost, we grieve; not just over the friendship itself, but also for the secrets shared, the trust given and the acceptance enjoyed. If betrayed, the pain runs deep causing us to wonder if intimate friendships are really possible.

When I think of a biblical example of real friendship, the story of David and Jonathan, found in 1 Samuel 19, always comes to mind.

Jonathan, son of King Saul, was David’s closest friend. The King despised David because he was growing in popularity and because God had anointed David to be king. These facts enraged King Saul, and he commanded his aids and Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan loved David; therefore he would not betray David.

Love isn’t the only fruit of true friendship. A real relationship consists of sacrifice too.

We discover in this story that Jonathan stripped himself of the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his armor, his sword, his bow, and his belt. Jonathan was the potential heir to his father’s throne, but we see him sacrificing his future for David as he literally gives David his place as king.

You and I learn from this action that true friendship means a willingness to sacrifice for each other in love. It’s the ability to put another’s needs, desires, and wishes above those of our own.

Loyalty is also a mark of true friendship. We’re told that Jonathan went to his father and spoke well of David. Jonathan also stood up to his dad and said, “Dad, you’re wrong about David. He hasn’t done anything against you, in fact, everything he’s done has helped you.” A true friend is a loyal defense before others; one who won’t talk about you when you’re not around. True friends stick up for each other and are ready to defend when others attack.

Finally, intimate friends give each other complete freedom to be themselves. In an intimate friendship, you don’t have to explain why you do what you do. You’re just free to do it.

When Jonathan gave David the sign that things were not okay in the palace and that his dad was going to kill David, the two were forced to say goodbye. The text tells us they wept together.

When your heart is broken, you can bleed all over a friend like this and she’ll understand. She won’t try to comfort you in your misery or tell you to straighten up. Intimate friends let each other hurt and they weep together. If your friend needs to complain, you will listen. Intimate friends don’t bale, they stay. They allow you to be yourself no matter what ‘self’ looks like.

If you’re looking for a Godly recipe for relationships, look no further. Mix together love, sacrifice, loyalty, and freedom and you can create an intimate friendship that lasts a lifetime.

From My House to Yours,

Cathie

Day 32

WOW... an entire month has past. Don't you just feel so much closer to the Lord? Can you believe we've made it this long? God is so good!

Are you bearing fruit?

And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" – Luke 13:6-9

The simple truth is that there is not much use in a fruit tree that doesn’t grow fruit, just like there isn’t much use in a Christian that isn’t living out Christ’s teachings. God made us, the Church, to be people of growth and action. It is his desire that we constantly seek to mature in our faith, and the way we do that is by getting involved in the world around us. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Become a greeter at your Church, make a small donation, or bring a meal to the couple that just had a baby. All that matters is if your heart is providing a harvest for God because you never know what he’ll do with the spiritual fruit you create.

Find your own way to serve Christ’s Kingdom, no matter how small.   

From My House to Yours,

Cathie

Day 31

But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
JAMES 1:19-20

I believe anger is one of the most dangerous and least talked about emotions. Anger can destroy marriages. It can devastate families. It can crush young people who grow up in homes where they are treated with disrespect and contempt. There are many people who seemingly never have a problem with their tempers in public but are more volatile than you'd ever imagine in their own homes and families.

I heard about a man who has helped many people sort through deep-seated issues of worth, forgiveness and abuse through his wise counsel, writings and speaking. He is indeed a good, godly man. But he'd be the first to tell you that anger has been a tough nut for him to crack. One day him and his wife were lost in downtown Chicago, and he was boiling over about the poor directions she had given him. Things got so bad that she abruptly left the car and began walking away at a brisk pace.

"Where do you think you're going?" He blurted out through the rolled-down window. She shot back, "I am not going to sit in the same car with you and give you the right to continue to sin against me." Then she snapped open her cell phone and called her friend to come pick her up. Oh, the humility of the moment! You likely have a similar story or two you could tell.

Take another look at the verse for today. If anger is an issue in your marriage, I suggest that you memorize it. And if you've allowed anger at your spouse to spill over into your family, I encourage you to ask for forgiveness from your spouse and your children.

Anger in your marriage and family—how often is it expressed? What impact does it have on your family? Talk about one step of action you'll take to address this emotion in your lives, marriage and family.

Pray, pray, pray for God to remove anger from you and your loved ones today. He can do it! 

From My House to Yours,

Cathie
PS Happy Birthday to our 6 year old daughter Phoebe Dawn Hightshoe. She is an incredible blessing to us. She is the living testimony of God working all things out for our good. WE LOVE YOU sweet baby girl.