Lisa Cline's Blog, page 46
May 22, 2014
Why else are we here
So i am not going to lie, I am a person who likes my bubble space. I am an introvert by nature and love that I have my own room that I can go to relax in.
Last night though, I did not have it. Because last night I shared my room with a friend who needed to get away from a rough situation.
This morning it hit me that this is what it is all about.
Life is not about making sure that you get your bubble space, life is about reaching out, being the hands and feet of Christ in a fallen world.
I love my sweet friend, and I hurt for what she is going through. I also know that I am not the only one who is hurting for her. God is too.
God brought us together for many reasons and this is one of them.
I am trusting God to get me to the land He called me to, not because I have physical proof that He will do so, but because I know that God loves us so much that He places us exactly where we need to be in order to reach those who need to hear his heart for them.
In a world that screams “It’s all about me” I am realizing that the truth is “It’s all about Him and his plans for me to reach out to others.”
So whether my friend stays another night, or fifty more, I am in. And I am excited to share the love of Christ with her, to be her soft spot to land in a harsh world.
There are many more that need the same, my prayer is that God will reveal one (or many) to you today.
As we reach out and lift others up, we will soon realize that God is lifting us up as well.
Photo = © svetaorlova – Fotolia.com
May 21, 2014
Raising my flag
Long ago I gave God permission to wake me with songs, this stopped Satan from filling my thoughts with negativity every morning.
In the beginning I was just happy wake up and start the day out on the right foot. I did not pay much attention to what the song was.
But slowly and surely God started to focus my attention on what I was hearing. And nine times out of ten, what I heard corresponded to what happened during my day, or what God wanted to happen during my day.
This morning the lyrics
We raise our white flags
We surrender
All to you
All to you
were looping over and over in my mind before I even opened my eyes.
And I realized something. While I do trust God, while I do believe in His ability to lead me, I have never fully surrendered to him in the morning, allowing Him to fully lead and guide me in everything I do throughout the day.
It looks like this will be the day that I do so. Join me?
Father God I am fully surrendering to you this day and every day. Lead and guide me so that I may walk in your perfect will. May I be able to look back on each day from here on out and say alongside David, “This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Lyrics = Chris Tomlin
Photo = © freshidea – Fotolia.com
May 20, 2014
Take Gods hand and …
Take my hand and walk where I lead
Keep your eyes on me alone
don’t you say why were the old days better
just because you’re afraid of the unknown
take my hand and walk where I lead
you will never be alone
faith is to be sure of what you hope for
and the evidence of things unseen
so take my hand and walk
Just like a child
holdings daddy’s hand
don’t let go of mine
you know you can’t stand
on your own
Take My Hand
Words by Jean-Luc Lajoie and Yves Lajoie
Music by Jean-Luc Lajoie
What you must do to be blessed
I say it again, God will bless you. You have been praying for blessing. But do remember, there must be absolute surrender. At every tea-table you see it. Why is tea poured into that cup? Because it is empty, and given up for the tea. But put ink, or vinegar, or wine into it, and will they pour the tea into the vessel? And can God fill you, can God bless you if you are not absolutely surrendered to Him? He cannot. Let us believe God has wonderful blessings for us, if we will but stand up for God, and say, be it with a trembling will, yet with a believing heart: ‘O God, I accept Thy demands. I am thine and all that I have. Absolute surrender is what my soul yields to Thee by divine grace.’ – Andrew Murray
What it’s not about
Although my ability to trust God with ordering the steps of my life, has come a long way from where it used to be, there is still (and I fear always will be) room for improvement.
Often times I realize that my impatience over seeing God work in my life stems from my distrust of His ability to work due to my own actions.
I start to wonder did I dot every “i” or cross every “t?” Did I do everything right in order for God to work in my life?
Then God taps me on the shoulder and says gently, “Child it is not about you. It is not about what you do.
Right or wrong your actions do not determine my ability to work in your life.
As long as you have a heart that is open to do my will, I will bring you to where you need to be.
Trust Me! Trust that I am forever with you and will not let you self-destruct. I AM all that you need. Lean into me.”
Photo© Login – Fotolia.com
Spirit lead me here
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
- Hillsong (Oceans)
May 19, 2014
True Faith
“If we insist on visible proofs from God, we may well prepare the way for a permanent state of disappointment. True faith does not so much attempt to manipulate God to do our will as it does to position us to do his will.
As I searched through the Bible for models of great faith, I was struck by how few saints experienced anything like Job’s dramatic encounter with God. The rest responded to the hiddenness not by demanding that he show himself, but by going ahead and believing him though he stayed hidden.”
- Phillip Yancey
May 16, 2014
May 15, 2014
When Jesus start out by saying “Truly” he is saying….
Don’t you just love when you are reading the bible and God illuminates something in a way that is just so darn real.
Take for example Mark 10:15
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”” (Mark 10:15, ESV)
Did you catch that?
Jesus started off by saying, “Truly I say to you.”
I saw that and I automatically pictured Jesus saying, “So look guys, before you hear the rest of what I am going to say you have to stop a second and think about this….what I am about to say it not a lie, a suggestion, or my imagination. What I am about to say is something that you really can rely on, trust in, with all that you are…honest!”
So first He says, “Trust me”…then the rest of it basically tells us how to trust Him. We are to come to Him like children.
The average child does not spend the day trying to figure out how to make things happen, and the night worrying about whether or not it will happen.
The average child is not on medication to sleep, because their brain is so used to fretting that it cannot shut off.
No the average child is not mentally drained all the time.
And because they are not so wound up, and exhausted with worry over what will come next, they follow where they are led.
We are called to be like them.
The Bible says
“The LORD will continually lead you; he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give of you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.” (Isaiah 58:11, NET)
God said it so we can trust it, because we can trust Him.
But we will never allow Him to lead us if we don’t trust Him enough to come to Him like a Child.
Rest in God! Trust Him to lead you to where you need to go and do what you are called to do.
Stop trying to figure out something that was never your responsibility.
Truly I say to you, trust God! You will not be put to shame for He is trust worthy!!
