Reflections from the Hills

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 Peter penned those words during the reign of Nero at a time when Christians were being burned as torches in the imperial palace and imprisoned simply for proclaiming Jesus as Lord. The sense of urgency in his words comes from the situation he was directly addressing but can still apply to us today. Let's look to see what Peter is calling us to do... Humble yourselves      To start with, we must humble ourselves, or rather become compliant to God. We must admit that he is stronger, bigger, badder than we are and that we need his help. We must be willing to do what God directs us to do, regardless of our situation. God is stern but he is never pushy. He will not intervene unless we humble ourselves to his will. Under God's mighty hand       Picture the description of God's hand--...

In Malachi, God calls out the Isrealites for robbing him of his rightful sacrifice (Mal. 3). They were no longer bringing a full tithe and offering to the temple, and what they were bringing was less than their best. God then tells them to "bring the whole tithe into the storehouse v. 10" and "test me in this and see if I will not open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it." What an amazing offer! The God of all the Universe (He-man voice) promises to overwhelm them with blessings if they would only follow is commandments! I'm pretty sure I could do that! Or could I? I know we would all like to give God our best, or at least be able to say we do, but if we were to take a really hard look at our lives, what would they show? (Yeah, I know, I'm squirming too right now!) What blessings are we missing out on because we are holding back our best, just like the Isrealites 2000 years ago. How much  more d...

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When we use terms like "sync," "backup," and "restore" we most often think of our PDA's or computers; but have we ever thought to apply them to ourselves? God created the most powerful super-computer ever---US! (Now, say that again in the He-Man voice for full effect!) That's right, you and me--we are the greatest computers ever made. So wouldn't it make sense that if we take the time to ensure our other "devices" are protected that we should make time to protect the most valuable thing we have, ourselves? Lets see what this looks like... To sync something means to share information and syncronize our devices. We sync to make sure we have the same music on our computer and our ipod, the dates on the calendar match, and our contacts are updated. Sync also means to "be in harmony with." If we are to be up to date with what God has for us and in harmony with Him, we must sync with him daily through prayer and Bible reading. P...

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. Earlier today I was reading a chapter on believing God can change us. Change happens all the time, yet we often think that we can't change--even though we see that everything around us does. What makes us special? Nothing, well, nothing we have done. Change comes from above, not within. So often we make the mistake of wanting something to be different without actually wanting to change or even trying to. I want change in my life, but I haven't done much to create it. Partially because I am afraid, partially because I feel the circumstances are so far beyond my control it's not worth the effort. The truth is nothing is beyond God's control and, if I am following His instructions, I should not be afraid. (see Phil 4:6) We must remember that when we accept Christ we are changed, we are new. Bad habits can be broken, old fears can be let go, and new attitudes and ...

Well, I know it has been forever since I posted anything and that certainly was not my intention but you know how life is. Here's a short list of what has been going on: 2 graduate courses wrapping up, finished a 100 page yearbook for school, planned/hosted DS's 4th birthday, got DD over her first ear infection, and spent the last week trying to tame my allergies while not being able to take anything. (I'm sure I left out a few things but you get the idea.) Even this week is crazy, I have to write my final paper for one class, take the final exam for another, distribute 450 yearbooks and take DD to the doctor--all in the next 3 days! Stressed--you bet! So what does this have to do with God's sense of humor? Well, Sunday I saw the quarterly women's devotional published by our church and picked it up. Certainly I have great hopes of being one of those people who rise with the sun and spend and hour in communion with our Lord but somehow it just doesn't ever happen...

God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge. How many times have we heard that? Sung that? Desired that? But what does it really mean? Webster's uses words like protection, safety , escape to define it. That is what God should be for me. He should be the place I run to when I am afraid or upset. He is my escape from whatever is troubling me, but He is not always where I turn to. As I said last post, these are the times I would run to DH. As as soon as I am upset or anxious, I pick up the phone and call him. Now certainly there are times that this is called for, but to tell him that I can't find my keys or that DS (dear son) has pushed my last button? It is not as if he can fax himself through the phone line or run home just to rescue me. No, these are the times that I need to stop and seek God. I need to call Him and ask for His guidance or help. Does God care about where my car keys are, not really; but, He does care about me...