Idolatry

"Who shapes a god and casts an idol , which can profit him nothing"

Isaiah 44: 10

            So I have a simple question to ask you dear friend. Where is your satisfaction found? Is it in your amazing job? Is it in your wonderful family? It is in your awesome spouse? Is it in the bank sitting in a checking account? Where is your true and deep satisfaction found?

To find true satisfaction is to find it in God. He wants us to find our satisfaction in Him instead of wasting our time and energy on things that cannot satisfy because dear one, when we look to other sources for satisfaction we are guilty of idolatry.   I am not saying we cannot enjoy the things of life and find joy and pleasure in them but when we seek in them our true satisfaction, we have turned that something into a idol.  I love how Isaiah says it.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. -Isaiah 55:2

The answer for those who have an inner thirst and hungry need only to follow Isaiah 55:6

            “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near”

I believe that God creates and activates dissatisfaction in every person for a wonderful reason.  I believe that 2 Peter 3:9 holds the answer to this dissatisfaction that every person is plagued with.

“ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" 

Beloved, the Lord does not want anyone to perish. He wants everyone to come to repentance but He gave us free will to make the decision of whether we accept His invitation or not; however He did purposely create us with a need that only He can meet. If you have not noticed from other friends around you, one of the most general human experiences is the inability to be completely satisfied. Salvation alone does not completely fill this need and many come to Christ searching for something missing but after they receive His salvation they go elsewhere for satisfaction.  I can testify to that dear one. Christians can be miserably dissatisfied if they accept Christ salvation yet reject the fullness of a daily relationship with Him. He offers us so much more than we typically choose to enjoy. Dear one, please know that discovering dissatisfaction is not a terrible thing but a God thing. It is only a bad thing when we do not allow it to lead us to Christ. He wants His children to find the one source that will truly satisfy our thirst and fulfill our longing hunger in our hearts. We must realize beloved that God desires for us to find genuine satisfaction in Him. Settling for satisfaction with anything else is idolatry. I realize that, that word might seem harsh but beloved, anything we try to put in place where God belongs is a idol. I myself have been guilty of this more then once.  I have placed relationships, and things above where the Lord’s rightful place should have been. True peace and satisfaction in this world comes when we break free of this. Dear one, the void that God created in us for Himself will require attention. Our natural craving is to be filled so the moment that someone or something comes to meet that need we feel an overwhelming temptation to worship it.  Isaiah 44:20 states this so clearly I think. 

“ Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie? ”

I am speechless reading this verse. How many times have I fed on ashes instead of feasting on the powerful word of God? How many times has my deluded heart mislead me and told me lies? Dear one I could cry right now just thinking about all the things I have tried to hold on to and all the while they were lies.  I finally have seen some of them were idols in my walk with the Lord. Finally I have let Him open my hands and have released the lies of “idols” I was holding on too. I have grasped His hands since then and am walking with Him daily. I urge you brother or sister that whatever you are holding on too, putting before God, and worshiping please release it and find true glory and satisfaction in Him. He is the truth that sets us free.. Open your hands and find satisfaction in Him.

“All of You is more than enough for all of me. For every thirst and every need. You satisfy me with Your love. And all I have in You is more than enough” – Enough by Chris Tomlin

Peace through the Storm

Peace in the Lord:

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you pace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. – II Thessalonians 3:16

            Friends, the Lord placed it on my heart to write about peace in Him. As many of you know my story, peace and rest in the Lord has played a huge factor in giving glory and honor to the Lord in all this. Peace is such an important real and practical benefit of our relationship with God and through my past I have seen that. I seriously would be a wreck if the Lord did not step in with His unfailing love and peace. Through this situation in my life I have discovered that as daughters and brothers of the King we have the peace of Christ. It has already been given to you dear one, if you have received Christ in your life you have His peace, however we don’ t always know how to activate it. The Lord promises us peace dear friend ,  and all we have to do is simply activate it.

You will keep in perfect peace   those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. - Isaiah 26:3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

He wants to give each of His children the ultimate peace through any situation. He offers His peace to you, all you have to do is take and receive it. Claim it in the victory of Jesus.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace and beloved when we permit him to govern our lives, peace in Him either seeps in immediately or ultimately. (Isaiah 9:6)  Beloved, peace comes in situations that are completely surrendered to the authority of Christ. We must relinquish the control that we “think” we have over the situation and completely turn it over to the sovereign hands of our Lord. I know this is hard to do. Believe me, I get it. You have never met a more determined daughter, then me in thinking that “I can make everything work out and I can make it all better.”  The true reality is that until the situation is turned over to God then peace cannot be received. It is so refreshing when I finally give up and decide to trust the sovereign God, unexpected peace just washes over like a cool, spring rain. I have finally turned my broken heart, and my shattered dreams over to the authority of the Lord and when I finally turned it all over to Him it was like the flood gates opened up and not only did he start to restore my brokenness but He has now turned my sad past into a wonderful story all for His glory. The Prince gave me His peace and has turned my something bad into something good ( Romans 8:28).  Beloved, if you have not yet surrendered a past area of your life over to God’s authority, something is holding you captive.  The Lord wants His children to experience His peace. You can experience this peace of Christ, dear friend, no matter what your trial or circumstance but you must, believe, bend the knee and receive it. Find joy in knowing that God inspired His Word with immense care and immaculate precision. Dear friend, He chose every word with intention.  He promises that we can have peace like a river in Isaiah 48:18. He meant that beloved. This kind of peace is found with awareness to God’s command by obedience through the power of the Holy Spirit. Not only is peace like a river promised but righteousness like the waves of the sea are promised when we are obedient to God’s authority. Dear sweet friend, God’s way is the secure way and the only way that peace is found in this hectic world. Receive the peace of God today and let His peace rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15).  

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15