Tag Archives: ABBA

My Obsession (again)

IDOK Devotion for Friday, March 12, 2010
My Obsession
          Today I began to question something.  If you know me well you know I’ve got a thing about words.  At times to someone who loves me much I can be down right irritating when I analyze his usage of words; especially when I am not a professional myself.  Be that as it may, here are my wonderings today:  Should we be praying that God will increase our faith or strengthen our faith?  I am wondering if we do ourselves damage when we ask God to increase our faith?  Hear me out now. When we ask Him to increase our faith, are we not telling ourselves that we are lacking in faith?  How negative is that?! Does that not create doubt in us?   But if we ask Him to strengthen our faith can we not hear ourselves saying to Him – ‘Yes, LORD, I have faith.  I admit it is weak but I know You have placed faith in me.  I know I have the seed of faith and when You strengthen the faith I have it will be more than enough to believe You for this that I am asking of You.’  Irritating — isn’t it?  My obsession with semantics.  But somehow it helped me today.  It connected for me today. So I’ve been praying today for ABBA to strengthen my faith … and He is.   So I thought if I passed along to you the ‘fruit’ of my semantics obsession, perhaps it would help you too.   
          Colossians 2: (NIV)
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him,
7rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

            ABBA, I realize often times I am a bit over the top with this word usage thing but I liked it today.  Thank You for humoring me.  I pray it will help our IDOKs and Readers.  Thank You for strengthening the faith that You placed in me.  And I am confident You are going to keep on strengthening me and I am delighted about that.  Thank You.  Compared to carnal, worldly standards, I’d like to get just down right sickening with how wildly in love with You I am.  I’d like love for You and people to just exude from every pore of me. I figure that will take some time and some work but lets do it!  I am mindful that such conversation could be construed as silly, too familiar or some other negative connotation but I think I’m finally getting ready to run that risk – it’s easy here on the page of this screen – get me to the place that it is easy out there too in the midst of people that intimidate me.  In fact I’m asking You to grow and mature me to the stage that my love and reverence for You far exceeds my desire to please man, woman or child.  I am asking to come to the place that I just abandon myself to You; not that I would disregard the feelings of others but that I would be freed up to love and help them without being concerned about me.  Empty me of me and fill me up with You.  It’s time to move on, isn’t it?  Move on to others.  Others who will be spoken here with some serious needs.  Bless them, keep the safe from all harm, strengthen their faith, increase their knowledge of Your Word; help them more and more to know You and believe You.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen and amen.

Kathie

 

Backyard Lily

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I have no idea the type lily it is but there are no ugly lilies, are there? Neither does ABBA have any ugly children  — think on that for a moment or two.   :) 

Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

via Matthew 6:27-29 KJV;CJB – Which of you by taking thought can add – Bible Gateway.

Happy Monday Afternoon,

Kathie

Not Obligated

“You are not obligated to act on every suggestion made by others. Concentrate on your family’s future well-being.”

If I could recall the name of the Author I would surely state the name but I failed to make note of it. Even so, does that statement grab you? Obviously, it did me as I am sharing it with you. Now this was written to parents of young women in the throes of a crisis pregnancy; but I think I could apply it to other areas. How about you?

Further, in some quiet moments with ABBA this morning I confessed to Him that I have some daily hindrances to healthy living. He agreed. I came away with this: There are daily hindrances to healthy living – mind, body and spirit – and when I make friends with those hindrances they become my excuses. It smarts but I think it will be helpful when I call it to remembrance with my next hindrance to healthy living – mind, body and spirit.

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

via Romans 8:36-38 KJ21;CJB – As it is written: “For Thy sake we – Bible Gateway.

This summer cold or whatever that has attached itself to me is hanging on long. Your prayers to kick this thing would be appreciated.

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

 

Not So

Without radio or TV playing, one in the kitchen can hear the voices of GRANDS in their respective bedrooms. And as Josh called out to Isabel to ‘come here’, a sweet thought came to me that perhaps will give you a moment of kind reflection or some encouragement.

When JESUS calls to us ‘come to Me’, it’s only a step for us because He has already come to where we are.

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest.

via Matthew 11:27-29 KJV;CJB – All things are delivered unto me of my – Bible Gateway.

Not always but sometimes we call out for someone to come to us because we are comfortable where we are and we don’t want to make the effort to go to them even though we have a message for them.

NOT SO with JESUS. He had/has a message for us but He does not call us to come a long distance to receive it – only a step – for He has already traveled the distance to meet us. HOW AWESOME is HE?! And how blessed a truth is this for us?

Blessings Dear Friends!

Be Hidden in CHRIST,

Thank You, ABBA, Thank You LORD YESHUA for coming the distance for us and thank You HOLY SPIRIT that You keep doing it for us. And I know You are doing so for GRACE in this moment. As I think about her agony as she grieves the death of her son, I know only You can get her though this season and so I pray; pray for her to just be in You and I pray for family and friends to come alongside and bless her with love and arms to lean on. And, ABBA, there may be others today with similar depths of grief, I pray for them too to take that step to Your comfort. For all the hurting who come to this page or for those who come bringing someone else in their heart, I pray for all of us to take that step and receive Your comfort. Thank You, LORD JESUS. amen and amen.

Its’ really quiet in the house . . . wonder if I should check on that? :)