Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 81

Off With The Old ~ On With The New

A new year always brings thoughts of things we'd like to change or
accomplish in our lives, but for those who belong to Christ, our task is
a daily one as we put off the old and put on the new.



As I
meditated on the following passage, I realized how much I need the work
of Christ in my life to be a conqueror in these areas every day.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all made these our New Year's
Resolutions?





You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to
put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to
your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not
sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not
give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no
longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that
they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any
unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those
who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and
anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind
and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you. ~Ephesians 4:22-32, NIV 



PUT OFF THE OLD



Self: Our hearts are naturally deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9).


Falsehood/Lies: Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).


Anger: Like a deeply embedded splinter, the
longer we hold onto anger, the more painful and deadly it becomes. It
also gives the enemy a crack to squeeze into.
Stealing: Stealing defrauds others, ourselves and God.
Unwholesome Talk: Nasty jokes, curse words, gossip and slander--the trash talk needs to go back to the trash and stay there.


Grieving God's Spirit: Holy God lives within us. He is grieved when we act in malice toward others.

PUT ON THE NEW



Self:
We're created to be like God in righteousness and holiness. While we
can't acquire these qualities for ourselves, God has graciously given
them to us through Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Truthfulness: Believers must speak truth because we're part of the body of Christ, who is Truth (John 14:6).
Usefulness: God has placed us in our place of
work/service. Our work provides us with the means to meet our daily
needs, but it's also for the purpose of sharing "with those in need."
Building Others Up: Our words hold life and death (Proverbs 18:21). May we be quick to speak words of life.
Kindness, Compassion, Forgiveness: God, in His goodness, has bestowed these gifts on us. How can we do any less? 

Lord God, thank You for providing a new way of life for
us through Christ. Give us strength throughout this new year to put off
the old and put on the new. In Jesus' powerful name, Amen.

The Heart of a Servant

Can you picture it? A poor, young teenager, recently engaged. The
most unlikely person for God to use. Why would the God of all creation
choose someone like her to bear His Son? Why was she "highly favored" by
God over all the other women on the earth?



Well, for one thing,
God's grace (favor) is His to bestow. He needs no reason to give it.
Indeed, any human attempt to gain it nullifies His precious gift of
grace. So what did the Lord see in Mary that would cause Him to choose
her for such a task?



I think the answer is best found in these verses:



"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." ~Luke 1:38, NIV



Obedience and Humility

We
live in a society of entitlement, where we demand our rights and our
way. But Mary recognized her place in relation to God. She was His
servant, not the other way around. So many times we treat God like He's
the one serving us. May we become more like Mary, asking for God's will
to be done in our lives.



And Mary said: "My soul
glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has
been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all
generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great
things for me—holy is His name." ~Luke 1:46-49, NIV



Praise and Thanksgiving

Mary
was quick to publicly express her gratitude and direct her praise to
God. How easy it would have been for her to become proud and say, "God
chose me, so I must be better than all the other girls out there."



Instead
she poured out her heartfelt praise at the joy she felt in being chosen
of God--the Mighty One, the One whose name is holy.



Then
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His mother: "This child is
destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a
sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts
will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." ~Luke
2:34-35, NIV



But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ~Luke 2:51b, NIV



Accepting

Every
opportunity brings with it the potential for great blessing and great
sorrow. Mary's task was no exception. There was no way she could have
foreseen the heartache she would have to endure when Gabriel appeared
with his announcement, but it probably didn't take long for her to
realize her God-appointment wouldn't always be an easy job. Yet she
"treasured ALL these things in her heart."



Lord God,
the Mighty One whose name is holy, how we praise You for the story of
redemption, for God coming to earth in the form of a helpless baby. We
thank You for the example of Mary. May we be quick to recognize our
place--humble servants, ready to do Your bidding. Give us servant
hearts. May we respond to the tasks You give us with praise and
thanksgiving, grateful for the small part You've given us to play in
Your story. Then Father, may we also be accepting of the difficulties,
the times when our hearts will be pierced, knowing that You can bring
great good out of even these. We love and praise You, and thank You
again for demonstrating Your love to us by sending Your only Son to save
us from our sins. Amen.

The Lord's Model Prayer

The disciples' request was simple: "Teach us to pray."



Jesus responded with a simple prayer.



This, then, is how you should pray:
   "Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
  Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one." ~Matthew 6:9-13(NIV)



Sometimes
I think we make prayer more complicated than it has to be. Jesus even
cautioned about over-doing it and having wrong motivations (Matthew
6:5-8).



God is with us. He dwells within. Our bodies are His temple. It stands to reason that He's as close as the mention of His name.



Recently
I noticed something about Jesus' prayer that I previously overlooked.
After addressing our heavenly Father and declaring Him holy, Jesus
mentions first that God's kingdom come and His will be done.



How
many time have I been guilty of praying down my list of requests instead
of simply asking the Lord to increase His kingdom? How many times have I
prayed for my will to be done rather than His?



I'm so
quick to treat God like a magic genie rather than Lord of all Creation.
"Bless me and my family. Bless my friends." While I think it's okay to
pray these words, it falls so short of Jesus' example. God's picture and
plan is so much bigger than my little corner of the world, and my
prayers need to reflect that fact.



Abba Father, Your
name IS holy. You alone are worthy of our praise. I pray for Your will,
not my own. I pray for the increase of Your Kingdom around the world.
Forgive me for sometimes going through my day without taking time to
realize Your Presence constantly with me. Forgive me for praying
selfishly rather than globally, for praying for my will rather than
aligning my will with Yours. Make me content with what You have to give
me today. You always meet and even surpass my needs. Help me to forgive
others the way You have forgiven me. Keep me from the evil without and
within, Lord, and make me cognizant of the enemy's desire to trip me up.
In Your holy and precious name I pray, Amen.

Book Three Still In The Works

I normally try to only post devotional thoughts on my website, but
because of delayed plans in publishing the third book in the Miller's
Creek series, I felt like I owed readers a word of explanation.



It
was my original intent to have the third book out in 2011. It's pretty
obvious to me that it's not gonna happen this year, no badly how much I
long for it to be true.



To give a brief backstory, I wrote half
the book in November 2010. Then life got crazy. We decided to put our
house on the market, which meant a few months of getting it
market-ready.



When I came back to the story, I was thoroughly
dissatisfied with it, so I started over. The house sold. We moved into a
rent house. We felt God leading us to a new location. We moved in with
our son and daughter-in-love in a new state. We found a new job (and all
the hurry and scurry that comes it) and moved again.



So, three
moves and a year later, I'm back at work on the book--version three,
that is--and I'm finally happy with the way the story is going.



I
believe with all my heart God used this past year to refocus my
attention on Him, so He could write this story--the story He meant for
me to write all along--through me.



So, thank you all for your patience and your prayers as I once more set out to tell the story of The Way of Grace. Lord willing, it will be finished in 2012.



Blessings
to you all, and I wish you a Christmas filled with awe and wonder at
God's work of grace through the baby born in the manger.

On Eagles' Wings

I watched breathlessly as a majestic eagle carved lazy circles in the
sky. He soared effortlessly as he allowed the wind to suspend him in
mid-air.



The words of Isaiah took on fresh meaning.



Do you not know?
   Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
   the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
   and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
   and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
   and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint. ~Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)



So
often we churn through life in our own strength, forgetting that a far
greater and stronger power is ours for the taking. There's no need to
flap our wings against the wind to no avail. All we have to do is wait
and hope in the Lord. Then our great God will exchange our puny human
strength for His inexhaustible power, and we will soar.



You
yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on
eagles' wings and brought you to myself. ~ Exodus 19:4 (NIV)



Thank
You, dear LORD, for doing for us those things we cannot do for
ourselves. You delivered us from slavery and bore us up on eagles' wings
to bring us to You. We're so grateful for Your promise to give us Your
strength. Help us to live that promise out daily as a witness to the
world of Your inexhaustible power. In Jesus' perfect name we pray, Amen.

Is Your Wanter Out of Whack?

Since Jesus went through everything you're going through and
more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning
from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then
you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants
instead of being tyrannized by what you want. ~1 Peter 4:1-2 (MSG)



When
it comes right down to it, at times we could all be classified as
spoiled brats. Sin is genetic. It's part of our DNA. We want our own
way, and we want it now. To put it simply--our wanters are out of whack.



I
love how The Message puts these verses in language we can sink our
teeth into. We all suffer disappointments, setbacks, and unfortunate
circumstances. And our typical first response is "Why me?"



How
blessed we are when we reach the point of seeing these disappointments,
setbacks and circumstances for what they truly are--God's way of weaning
us from wanting our own way.

If we truly long to live for Christ,
then we should desire for "us" to be moved out of the way. God can do
that through suffering. Only then will our out-of-whack wanters be
transformed so we seek Him and His way.



Father God,
thank You that in Your infinite wisdom and perfect plan that You
provided a way to remove the tyranny of self. May we learn to see our
difficulties as God-inspired for the purpose of fulfilling Your plans
instead of our own. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Got Wisdom?

The "Got milk?" advertisements are everywhere. And like all good
advertisements, they are designed to make us want what they have based
on what we perceive as lacking in our lives. Beautiful and successful
people sporting a milk mustache create within us a desire to drink milk
so we can be beautiful and successful too.



As good and healthy as
milk is, there's something we need far more, especially in the society
in which we live: wisdom. Thankfully, it's ours for the asking.



If
any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who
gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or
faultfinding, and it will be given him. ~James 1:5 (AMP)



I love the fact that our God is a giving God. He grants wisdom liberally and does it without criticizing.



Here are some other scriptures on wisdom.



Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,
insight into life from knowing a Holy God.
It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,
and the years of your life ripen.
Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;
mock life and life will mock you. ~Proverbs 9:10-12 (MSG)



Do
you want to be counted wise, to build up a reputation for wisdom?
Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way
you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition
isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the
truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest
thing from wisdom--it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever
you're trying to look better that others or get the better of others,
things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats. Real
wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by
getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with
mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.
You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God
and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. ~James 3:13-18 (MSG)



Here's the breakdown:



WISDOM:


is NOT mean-spirited ambition.
is NOT about how we talk, but how we walk.
is NOT twisting the truth to make yourself sound good.
is NOT two-faced, hot one day and cold the next.
is granted by our giving God simply by asking.
begins with fear and reverence of the Lord.
deepens and ripens and permeates our lives.
is gained by living well and living humbly.
begins with a holy, set-apart life.
is characterized by getting along with others.
is gentle and reasonable.
is overflowing with mercy and blessings.
can be enjoyed only if we do the hard work of getting along with others, and treating each other with dignity and honor.

Father
God, thank You for being a generous and giving God. Thank You that all
we have to do to gain wisdom is humbly ask You for it. Help us learn to
depend solely on You and to give you the fear and reverence You deserve.
Grant us strength to do the "hard work of getting along with others,
treating each other with dignity and honor." Teach us to be holy, even
as You are holy. We ask this in the perfect and precious name of Jesus,
Amen.

For Such A Time As This

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to
yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the
other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance
will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's
house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the
kingdom for such a time as this?" ~Esther 4:13-14 (ESV)



In
our often routine and mundane lives, it's easy to lose sight of the
fact that God has each of His children exactly where He wants us. Even
when we stray from His perfect plan for us, He will use us wherever we
are so His purposes are fulfilled (Proverbs 16:9).



So if you
question your relevance and worth in God's kingdom, remember the story
of Esther. She could have easily done what was easiest and most
convenient for her, but God had placed her in a position of influence
for a reason--to save His chosen people. Now her story is forever
immortalized in the pages of God's Word.



Throughout the Bible we
see evidence of God using people to fulfill His purposes. Joseph endured
slavery and wrongful imprisonment so he could save the lives of many
people. Moses, raised in the courts of Pharaoh and then subjected to the
rigors of desert living, became God's tool and weapon against the
mighty nation of Egypt and led God's chosen people to the Promised Land.
A simple fisherman by the name of Peter, who three times denied Jesus,
became a fisher of men. And the list could go on and on...



My
prayer is that God would open our eyes so we can see how our lives fit
into His perfect and worldwide plan--that we can know He has placed us
here and now, for "such a time as this."

Filling in the H

Before our recent move, friends of ours gave us a beautiful
wall hanging which says: Walk by FAITH, have HOPE always, LOVE others. As I
hung the rustic picture above the fireplace, I noticed the H in FAITH was a
little difficult to read, so I found a marker and filled it in.




As I did so, the Lord brought a truth to mind. Faith
sometimes requires taking a step before the picture is complete.




Abraham had to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah with the
intention of offering him as a sacrifice before God stayed his hand and
provided a ram.




Moses had to return to Egypt—a place where he was wanted for
murder—before God could use him to lead His chosen people out of slavery.




The widow had to borrow jars before God provided her with
oil to sell.




All throughout God's Word, we see example after example of
people who had to exhibit faith before God intervened on their behalf, because
the amount of faith we proclaim is only backed up by action.




I hope to spend all my days on this planet filling in the H.




Dear Lord, thank You for the many times You intervene on our behalf.
Thank You that Your plan involves us backing up our proclamations of faith in
You by taking steps. Give us the strength and courage to follow you in faith.
Amen.

Worthy of Trust

If the truth were told, we could probably all admit to trust issues.
We've all been burned in relationships with others, and because of our
burn scars we find it difficult to know who to trust.



But our
heavenly Father is completely worthy of our trust. Because He made us
and loves us--because He is Almighty and the one and only true God--we
can trust Him with our lives.

When we trust Him and seek Him and
His way with all our heart, we can rest assured that He will work out
the every detail of our often confusing lives for our good.



"And
we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
Him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28 (NIV)



In
the recent move my husband and I made, I confess to times of fear and
worry. We were acting on what we believed God wanted us to do, but what
if we misunderstood? What if we were wrong? Would God provide jobs and
thereby provide for our needs?



Our worry and fear were in vain.
God worked in spite of our humanity. He has always been (and will always
be) completely trustworthy. Jesus expressed it best in His Sermon on
the Mount.



"If you decide for God, living a life of
God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at
mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There
is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to
your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at
the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description,
careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so
much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think
it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk
out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or
shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten
best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If
God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which
are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in
you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to
relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to
God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over
these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in
God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing
out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your
entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked
up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal
with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." ~Matthew 6:25-34
(MSG)



Almighty God, how we praise You for Your
involvement in our lives. Teach us to trust You and to follow You
whole-heartedly. Thank You for being faithful and worthy of our trust.
Thank You for providing for us in spite of our tendency toward worry and
fear. We love You. Amen.