Post Holiday Blues? Praise the Lord!

 

It's two days after Christmas. Do you have that sad feeling? All the celebrating is done. Family and friends are leaving to go back home. (Some you may have wished wold have left before they came!)  So what do you do when everything is done and over? When you might feel alone and uncertain? Did you have a conflict over the holidays that is now unresolved and you can't stop thinking about it? 

So again the question what now?

Let's see what David says is his Psalm.

 

Psalm 103

Of David.

 ¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;
   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
   and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
   and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
   and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
   so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 ⁶ The LORD works righteousness
   and justice for all the oppressed.

 ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses,
   his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹ He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰ he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 ¹³ As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴ for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵ The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶ the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸ with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts.

 ¹⁹ The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
   and his kingdom rules over all.

 ²⁰ Praise the LORD, you his angels,
   you mighty ones who do his bidding,
   who obey his word.
²¹ Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
   you his servants who do his will.
²² Praise the LORD, all his works
   everywhere in his dominion.

   Praise the LORD, my soul. 

We need to praise the Lord!

Even when we have to search to find a reason, Praise the Lord!

Here are just a few reasons David gives: 

He forgives all our sins!

He satisfies our desires with good things!

He renews our youth!

He works righteousness and justice for the oppressed!

He is compassionate and gracious!

He is slow to anger!

He abounds in love!

He is not the accuser!

He will not repay us for what our sins deserve!

His love for me is as high as the heavens are from the earth!

He is a compassionate father!

He understands my limitations because He formed me!

He is ruling on high right now and forever without end!

There is no reason not to praise the Lord!

The way to kick the post holiday blues?

PRAISE THE LORD!

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson 

Daily Devo- Joshua 24:14-15 "Get Off That Fence!"

^{Joshua 24:14-15}

¹⁴ “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 

Have you ever sat on a fence? I mean a real fence. One that separates two yards? It is hard to sit there and not fall off. Depending on how the fence in constructed, it is a difficult task to keep your balance. 

When you fall off the fence, you never quite know which side you will end up landing on. Which could be a problem. Especially if there is a ferocious dog on one side. Or a neighbors yard, with a neighbor who doesn't like trespassers. Or a big mud pit with pigs. Get the picture.

Joshua was telling the people of that day, they needed to get off the fence they were sitting on. Choose whom they wanted to serve, because they could not balance on the fence and serve God and the false gods of the land. Make a choice he says. Or you will end up falling off the fence where you don't want to be.

The same thing applies to us today. Do you find yourself sitting on a fence. One foot dangling on the side of the world and the other on the side of the Lord?  You must make a choice. You WILL fall off of that fence, probably because the world will push you down, and you will not like the pit on that side you fall into. You, me, everyone MUST make a choice. We need to make it today. 

Throw away the false gods of this world and serve Jesus. Even if that is not the choice others make. We must serve the Lord. 

By the way, not choosing is a choice. You have chosen the world by default if you don't choose the Lord. 

So, as for me and my household, there will be NO FENCE SITTING! We will serve the Lord.

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- 2 Thessalonians " Hold On!!"

2 Thessalonians 1

1 Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore, among Gods churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

5 All this is evidence that Gods judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(NIV) 

Lord I am so thankful for this passage in Your Word today! It reassures me of so many things. You show me that the things I am suffering here, are not necessarily a punishment. Just because You don't stop those who are persecuting me and those close to me, does not mean that I am outside of Your will.

You have said You will handle it all when Jesus returns. You have let me know that my standing strong during this time and season of suffering, I am growing and learning to love more abundantly!
My faith is becoming steadfast because I do run from trouble and I do not give up!
Thank you for Your love and Spirit that guides and enables me to hold on and keep walking during the tough times!
The way I handle trials You equate with being worthy of the Kingdom of God. Your Kingdom needs strong people who don't run at the first sight of tough times. We have an enemy who devours the weak, so please take my weakness and make me strong in You!!! I cannot serve and show others the way to You if I give up.

Today:
I will walk in God's love and Truth.
I will remember that God does not miss anything and He will handle everything in His own time.

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Psalm 56 " Feeling Beat Up Today?"

 I talk with people everyday who just feel beat up. For some it is physical, but for most it is verbal, or in attacks that are not quite so obvious. It comes from people just treating others badly. What can you do when you are feeling beat up by those around you? This is what David did. He cried out to the Lord honestly, and put his trust in God. Let's read:

Psalm 56

 ^1-4 Take my side, God—I'm getting kicked around, stomped on every day.
   Not a day goes by
      but somebody beats me up;
   They make it their duty
      to beat me up.
   When I get really afraid
      I come to you in trust.
   I'm proud to praise God;
      fearless now, I trust in God.
      What can mere mortals do?
^5-6 They don't let up—
      they smear my reputation
      and huddle to plot my collapse.
   They gang up,
      sneak together through the alleys
   To take me by surprise,
      wait their chance to get me.
⁷ Pay them back in evil!
      Get angry, God!
      Down with these people! 

 ⁸ You've kept track of my every toss and turn
      through the sleepless nights,
   Each tear entered in your ledger,
      each ache written in your book.
⁹ If my enemies run away,
      turn tail when I yell at them,
   Then I'll know
      that God is on my side.
^10-11 I'm proud to praise God,
      proud to praise God.
   Fearless now, I trust in God;
      what can mere mortals do to me?
^12-13 God, you did everything you promised,
      and I'm thanking you with all my heart.
   You pulled me from the brink of death,
      my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
   Now I stroll at leisure with God
      in the sunlit fields of life. 

Are you afraid to cry out to God the way David did? Don't be. God sees what you are going through. Even if you do not pray to Him with what is on your heart, He knows. Why not trust Him enough to say, " I am feeling really low right now. See what is happening to me? Please do something God!"

David was said to be a man after God's own heart. He was not perfect, but he loved and trusted God. He also was open with God. He was close enough to the God of all creation to just pour out his heart to Him.

David says he trusts in God three times here:

I come to you in trust (vs 3)
 fearless now, I trust in God (vs 4)
 Fearless now, I trust in God (vs11)

Not only does David trust but he praises God three times as well.
 I'm proud to praise God (vs 4)
I'm proud to praise God (vs10)
proud to praise God (vs10)

Trust and praise go hand in hand. you cannot have one with out the other. David could praise God because he trusted God. David could trust God because he knew that God was worthy to be praised.  

So as you and I walk through our days, let  us know that God sees all we are going through, we can trust that He will bring us through it, and in the darkest of times, praising Him will be just what we need to do. 

Interesting thought to add; if we are praising God when we are being persecuted, it keeps our focus on God. When we start focusing on those who are wronging us, we may be tempted to sin, or to let a root of bitterness take root in our heart. 

Concentrate on God. Praise and trust Him. He is and always will be your protector!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

The Secret Life of a Preacher's Wife- The Test

My name is Glenda.
I am a preacher's wife.
And I have a secret.
As a matter of fact, I have a secret life, that only God and other preacher's wives see.

And I am going to give you a peak inside.
Everything I am about to say, is the truth. (Though my friend, and fellow preacher's wife Mandy Richmond says you won't believe it!)
I hope if you are reading this and you are married to the man in the pulpit, you will get a chuckle and know you are not alone.
If you are not married to the man in the pulpit, (please don't desire to be, but that's another blog post) I hope you get a glimpse of the life of the woman that is probably sitting alone on the second pew.

So here we go.


My husband preaches that we are not to just read and know scripture, but to live it out. This is about the day Romans 7:15 became my nemesis.

My husband was preaching is a small southern town. I mean population of 2000 and that includes counting the college students that they lump together with this towns population. And the college has 1000 students. So that leaves about 1000, (and I think they are counting flies) to establish small.
I loved that congregation. Lovely people. We knew everybody in town. And everybody in the Church.

So the stage is set. For my colonoscopy.

Now most you, if you have to have this test done, you make an appointment, show up, get some feel good medicine so you don't remember, wake up, talk to your doctor and go home.

For me it goes like this; I make my appointment. The head nurse of that unit tells me on Sunday, "Oh I see you are coming to see me next week!".
Ugh. Remember, this is a colonoscopy.
The day arrives, I go back and  am introduced as the preacher's wife. Patient hat comes off, Preacher's wife hat comes on. I greet and chat with everyone in the room as I am prepped. Don't know why I changed hats, no one was looking at my head! Ugh.
The nurse member of our congregation gives me something to make me forget what is going on. As I am getting this medicine I am told I will be awake, I just won't remember anything.

This is where you and I might differ some. I begin praying fervently, "Lord, please let me be nice. Please don't let me say anything that might not be appropriate. Please let these women see Jesus (although I was sure they WERE NOT going to find Jesus where they were looking at that moment)!

Sometime during my procedure, the meds starting wearing off, and I began a conversation in my head with myself that went something like this:
"Oh that hurts"
"This really needs to stop NOW"
"Ok, be nice Glenda. be careful, don't say anything you shouldn't"
"Ok ladies this needs to stop"

I then said quietly to the nurses, "Umm, ladies, excuse me but that hurts." They looked at me , rolled me over to my other side and started pushing on my tummy. Not the response I was looking for.

Then Romans 7:15 comes into play.
 "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate."
In my head again, " This has to stop now or I'm going to take someone out!!"
"Jesus, God, Church, Husband is the preacher."
"Ok say it louder, but nicely!"

I spoke aloud again. Quite loudly to make sure they heard me this time.

"LADIES! This really MUST stop now. I have had quite enough!"

My nurse who goes to our church, must have heard me then because she came up to where my head was, and gave me some more meds because the next thing I remember is waking up with my husband and the doctor.
I started to get panicky because I wondered if I was rude, or mean to the nurses. After all, a preacher's wife cannot do that!

I saw my nurse at church the following Sunday, and I asked her, " Was I rude or mean to you or your staff when I had the test done?" She was confused at the question but said no. I then recounted my conversation with her and she looked horrified.
"You aren't supposed to remember that!"
I smiled at her,winking and said, "That's ok, there are a few things from that day I hope YOU don't remember!"

Such is the "Secret Life of a Preacher's Wife".

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

The List Keepers

<sup>I am thinking a lot about forgiveness today. As I do, I am comforted in the fact that Jesus has forgiven me for many things. I have discomfort today as well. My discomfort come from "List Keepers" You know, those who think it is their "God-Given appointment" to dig up anything wrong you have ever done in your life and "bring it into the light" for all to see. So as I struggle with a battle going on in the earthly realm, God gently reminds me, that the spiritual realm is where my strength come from. 


As I was praying this morning, this is the passage that came to my heart:</sup>

^{Luke 7:36-50}

 Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
      "Tell me, teacher," he said.

 "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
      "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

 ^{As I read through this passage, a couple of things really jumped out at me.}

"If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

^{Really?! Jesus knew exactly who she was. Some say this was the woman who had been caught in adultery, that Jesus forgave. Whomever she is, people knew her sins. Furthermore, in reading this, unless you participated in her sin with her, you knew about it because it was being talked about. By "list keepers".}

Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 

She loved much. That is a powerful statement coming from the one who is the author of love! And Jesus also says she had MANY sins, and that they had ALL been forgiven.

That is comforting to me! Jesus can forgive my many sins. My love for Him matters! My love for other people matters! "List keepers" don't take into account love. That never seems to make it on the list.

  Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

These words spoke right into my soul this morning. I can go in peace knowing my sins have been forgiven and my faith has saved me!

One of the hardest things for Christians to do, is allow others to be forgiven. If Jesus has forgiven someone, do we the right to "keep a list"?

Hebrews 8:12 

For I will forgive their wickedness
      and will remember their sins no more.

To keep a list is to say you have more authority than God. That is a scary place to be. 

But The love thing.......Much love......

I wanted to know just what Jesus defined as love, since He equated her having loved much with forgiveness. Here is what I found:

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

This is a powerful passage. This describes love the kind of love that God has for us. 

  

it keeps no record of wrongs.

  If we want to love like God, we MUST not keep any record of wrongs.

The response to that tends to be, "OK, I'll forgive, but I do not have to trust you!"

always trusts

If we are to love like God, we must trust. There is no love without trust. There is no argument that can be made to this except to choose to disobey God's Word.

I too, can be a "list keeper" of sins. As a matter of fact, I am guilty as charged. But today, I will burn that that list out of my mind, and out of my heart. The only reason I should care about someone's sin, is to lead them back to Jesus! Not to throw them and their sin into the public arena for ridicule. I have the ministry of reconciliation, not humiliation! And if Jesus has already forgiven that sin between the two of them, I am entering a realm that I do not belong in! And I don't know what has gone on between Jesus and another in their private prayer time!

I choose to be forgiven because I have much love.

For Jesus.

For others.

I am thankful Jesus remembers my sin no more!

I think I may become a " list keeper" of a different sort.

I will keep a record of the good I see others do and recognize it.

That is the start to Chasing after God's Heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,


Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda

Grace, The Lessons In The Valley

March was a long time ago.

A very long time ago.

I have learned an incredible lesson over the last several months.

It has come from walking in a valley.

The cause?

Being silly enough to think I should blog on GRACE!


It seemed so right. To blog on GRACE. Logical. I have taught three woman's bible study on GRACE.
I had learned so much. After talking with many people, it became obvious that in all actuality, few people really realize what GRACE truly encompasses. So, in my excitement, I figured I would share what I had been so deeply touched by.

GRACE.

And I could have sworn I heard a whisper say, "REALLY?"

And so the journey began into the realm of really being taught what GRACE is.

I had a sin debt that I owed to God. One day He will call the debt due, and it will need to be paid in full. The problem is, the only thing that can pay that debt, is my life. In death. Oh, and may I mention, it must be a perfect spotless life to sacrifice to pay the debt. Now I am in trouble. I know my past. I know what I have done. While I might be willing to freely die to pay this sin debt, it would still not cover what I owe. Now I am in deep trouble...

This is where GRACE stepped in. Jesus, who lived a perfect, spotless, blameless life, chose to intercede on my behalf. He and God the Father and the Holy Spirit, set up a plan for Jesus to die in my place. God would accept this. What is really awesome, is that this plan, was put into effect even before I even cared who God was, or what I owed Him.

My sin debt was paid when Jesus died and then resurrected on that cross so many years ago. I did nothing to deserve it. I did nothing to earn it. I was just loved enough to be given a lavish gift far beyond anything imaginable.

I must however accept that gift. And I have. I have chose to believe and obey God, and have been covered by the blood of Christ. I, in essence, chose to unwrap the gift that has been waiting for me since before I was born.

The good news is, that everyone reading this has a gift waiting too, a gift of GRACE.

Open yours today.

Had I written this blog in March, that is where this would have ended. But, there has been 6 months of teaching in valley for me.

I did not just receive this gift of GRACE for my own salvation. GRACE is NOT just about my soul escaping an eternal separation from God. It is about how you live, act and treat other people.

I have been in a valley.
I have had a war declared on me in the last 6 months. I have done everything I can to bring peace. Learning to show GRACE while under fire has been a very painful thing. It is however, what God has called me to do.

So to end the series on GRACE, these is what I learned in the valley:

1. NO ONE has done ANYTHING to me that even comes close to what I have done to the Almighty God, the Creator of all. And yet, He shows me GRACE daily.

2. My reputation, and my motives are truly known by God. Jesus was misunderstood, falsely accused, and treated very poorly for most of His life. And yet, He chose to die to redeem those any way.

3. I am called to serve, regardless of what others may claim. My service is between Jesus and myself, no one should be able to hinder that, unless I allow them to. People claimed Jesus was wrong when he did His father's will. And yet, He did it any way, because it was what He was called to do.

4. I am called to love like Jesus, no matter what. No circumstances, no excuses, no twisting of Scripture to fit my own feelings. Jesus was attacked, spit on and beaten by the very ones He created. And yet, He said, " Father forgive them, for the know not what they do."


All of the above is GRACE. Not just to be accepted, but to impart as well. I cannot save a soul by showing GRACE, but I can lead someone to the ONE who can save their soul by showing GRACE.

It's been a long one today. Thanks for hanging in with me. I am back to blogging, so the next one won't be 6 months worth!



Chasing After Their Hearts,


Glenda Johnson
womanaftergod@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/GlendaJohnson63
http://www.facebook.com/BibleBowlGlenda