Sticky Notes from God~~~~~~ Full Service Deal

“Lord wash us with the water of your word”

Too often when we get into the Bible we go for a quick snack, a sponge bath, a first aid kit, and touch of partial truths to suit itching ears. In other words we get out of it exactly what efforts we put in to it. The dust that settled on our Bibles from lack of use will only fly off to settle in our hearts if that’s all we are willing to do.

 

If we go for a snack it’s exactly what we’ll get as we will never get the benefit of a full meal deal because we chose to grab something on the run. A bite here and there will never give us the nourishment we need as opposed to really feeding off and digesting what God has to say.

 

Stopping by to put a Band-Aid over our wounds may help for a little while but it will never give us the healing we require for deeply infected wounds. We don’t need something to hide our wounds. We need the Great Physician and Lord to heal us from within. Someone who knows about wound care that will heal us to where we need to be.

 

Dipping into God’s word for a quick sponge bath is like splashing water over our hands without the soap in our rush to move on. It doesn’t do the job. In order to be cleansed we need to get into God’s word like a full service bath and soak in it long enough to wash away the dirt of sin.

 

Digging out partial truths wanting to hear strictly the things our ears are willing to listen to will only get us further into the pits we are digging for ourselves. Indeed we like to read in God’s word that we are loved and that whoever believes will have everlasting life but we ignore the warnings of those doomed for the lake of fire, the consequences of disobedience, and the importance of being like Christ. We think it’s good enough to read where we are forgiven but we don’t want to hear about the part that tells us we are to forgive others first.

 

It’s time to stop playing around and start to go for the full service deal and get serious about getting our spiritual lives into shape. Standing before the Lord on judgment day with our spiritual pretend mommy at our side licking her finger so she can rub off the dirt on our face so we can pass inspection isn’t going to work. It will never pass the scrutiny of God’s judgment when He looks into our motives, actions, attitudes, laziness, and choices of our life on earth.

 

No, what we need now is the full service deal of the benefit of getting into God’s word in order to be cleansed, fed, guided, and restored.

 

© 2013 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

Sticky note from God

 

When the desire to go AWOL hits, you need do the opposite and stay. We have God on our side. He’s our refuge and strength. He promises to go with us.

 

Have you ever had one of those days where you would just like to go AWOL? Absent without leave, absent without notice, far away, vanish, gone, disappear! As much as “disappearing” sounds like the answer it’s not. There will always be those situations in life that we need to get out of but that isn’t the same as up and quitting and disappearing into nowhere.
 

Believe it or not at times to stay is a much better way to handle life because no matter where we run off to life follows us. Even in death life follows us into eternity into our choice of eternal destination of Heaven or Hell.

 

Truly what makes it a better way is when we have God on our side. Some might insert an argument here saying I wouldn’t feel like disappearing if God was truly on my side. He seems to be working for the other team!

 

STOP! Just stop right there and get off your pity party. God is on our side. That does not guarantee us a smooth sailing, pain free, wonderfully comfortable life. What it reassures you and I is a secure refuge and enduring strength in Him. He is there to see us safely out of the tough situations we get ourselves into not to escort us around the outskirts of potentially hard times.

 

In other words, if we want to win our race we need to change our direction and run to Jesus not elsewhere. Truly by our modification in our actions we can change AWOL from absent without leave to “Always with Our Lord!” Amen? Amen!

 

 

© 2012 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

Sticky Notes from God~~ Fear, permission denied

Fear is a jail cell locked from the inside. False evidence appearing real; do it afraid what is right

 

As an adult I still remember the words of my mother who always said, “There’s no reason to be afraid, go ahead and do it.” Sometimes I believed her and other times I didn’t. Little did I know at the time what damage fear can do in your life if you give it permission to.

 

Fear is a jail cell locked from the inside and we are the ones who hold the key. Often what we fear is nothing but false evidence appearing real. Good disguise, right? Whether it’s false evidence or something very real like the fear of water after almost drowning in it we need to not let it control our lives. We need to do what we know is right even if we do it afraid and not give fear its permission to stop us.

 

Recently as I flew to Arizona to the Cancer Treatment Center of America I sat next to a gentleman flying home after a business trip. When I asked him if my husband could trade seats with him he said “No, I’m claustrophobic that’s why I book far enough ahead of time to get an aisle seat.”

 

When we finally landed in Salt Lake City I wanted to praise him for doing so well facing this fear he dealt with. He most certainly could have chosen to stay home but he chose to face it afraid.

 

With Christ at our side we can face anything afraid or not. As I told our congregation one Sunday the benefit of having Christ over the years has given me strength to endure and a great traveling companion. A friend at my side that helped me face the fear of seizures, the fear of cancer, the fear of the unknown, the uncontrolled.

 

There are things out there that are going scare us and that’s natural but we can’t let it lock us up in a jail cell with us holding the key. We need to deny fear its permission to control in such a way. To do what is right even if we do it afraid. The best possible way is having the Lord traveling with us, walking along beside us telling us what He told Joshua in the Promise Land. “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Praise the Lord it is true, Praise the Lord we can face our giants even if we do it afraid because we have the Lord who is forever with us if we so choose.

 

When we say to fear ‘permission denied,” and to Christ “permission granted” we can almost hear the clanging of the jail cell lock as it’s released.  All we need to do is hand over the key that locked us up in the first place, our fear of evidence not true, and our fear of fear itself.

 

© 2012 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing

Sticky Notes from God~~~~~ Hopping on Board to God

Circumstances can be used as our chariots of God, they are there to take us to God

 

 

Suddenly when we find ourselves in certain circumstances we think we are being punished by God. We instantly think God has moved away from us by leaving us to fend for ourselves. These are all lies planted by Satan to make us believe something that is not true.

 

 Our circumstances no matter how good or bad are our chariots to God. They are the transportation needed to draw closer to Him.  Years ago when a friend of mine was dying of cancer he said he was glad he got cancer because it drew him closer to God.

 As crazy as it sounded I understood what he meant back then and even more so today now that I have cancer myself. My cancer, my epilepsy I used to have, my search for answers, life’s situations in themselves have all served as chariots to God.

 Each one drew me closer and closer to my Lord because I was wise enough to allow them to. As we hitch hike along the road of life wondering where we are going to wind up we can either hop on board with God or stay at the bus stop and hope for a different ride.

 

 I’m hopping on board with God.

 

© 2012 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing