Let perseverance
finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.
James 1:4 NIV
TOO BUSY TO REST
This Friday I was a guest on the women’s TV Show, See, Hear, Love with Melinda Estabrooks and a few of my incredible, world-shaking girlfriends {I’ll let you know when the episode airs}. At one point in the show, we talked about our hectic schedules and the issues we have with letting ourselves get too busy. As a firstborn, Type A personality, raised in a racing family of over-achievers who owned multiple businesses; rest doesn’t come easily or naturally for this girl and my friends are much the same.
In the last year, God called one of my closest girlfriends to a time of radical rest. Now, the idea of God asking you to not work would seem a blessing… but to my hard-working, others-focussed friend, the task has been daunting and difficult. Attempts at heading back into the workforce before God’s release, have resulted in closed doors and her submission to wait for God’s perfect timing. I believe her answering God’s call to drastic obedience will pave the way for the incredible things God has for her future.
As I was thinking about all this, Todd’s aunt forwarded me an encouraging post about rest. When reading, this phrase popped into my head and hasn’t let go. Maybe it’s because I was a huge DC Talk fan back in the day {Only those who were young Christian in the 90’s will get this connection—check out this fun #musicpics post}, but I had this repetitive thought in my head… Rest is a Verb.
REST IS A VERB
Combining the truth of this week’s verse with a line from the blog post I read, led me to a new understanding I want to share with you! The line in the article that inspired me was essentially saying,
Rest in God’s Kingdom is not inactivity, but total dependence on God.1
When I read the definition of the original Greek word Hypomoné used in this verse, translated in our Bibles to read as: perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, or patience, it got me to researching a little more. I googled the definition of rest and it all came into clear vision. Rest is defined as “relax, refresh, or recover strength”.2
Sometimes, we need to endure in rest, in order to become strong, getting ready for the next God has for us. We’re like athletes who need to take a break, so they can recover strength in their muscles; or dough you need to let rest, so it can rise. Rest isn’t inactivity, it’s activity out of sight. Rest is a Verb!
I hope this new understanding helps you to be patient in rest, allowing God the opportunity to build you up, make you strong, mature you and prepare your heart for the exciting adventure He has in store!
Prayer
Father… Thank you for being loving enough to keep working on me. I will work hard to stop wiggling my way out of your crucible and rest in you. I’m asking You to produce in me the character and strength needed to fulfill your call on my life. In Jesus Name…Amen
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am going.”
John 14:1-4 NIV
TEMPORARY HOME
Just after Easter, as I was driving from my Uncle and Aunt’s house to Hamilton, the thought crossed my mind that I was going to pass by four different homes I’d lived in. Since I don’t get around that area very often, I took pictures of each house. Some looking, Oh so different! than when growing up.
As I continued to drive, I began counting just how many places I’ve called home. There were:
10 growing up with my parents
3 different college dorms
9 places as an adult that included:
4 houses, 2 townhouses, 1 trailer, and 2 cottages.
If you’re counting, that’s 22 “homes” in total!
Shelby & Haillie outside our home
Thinking about my moving mayhem brought Carrie Underwood’s song, Temporary Home to mind. As teens, this song had become very close to my daughter and her friend Haillie’s heart. Haillie and her mom, my friend Lori had come to live with us when we were both going through separation. To say it was a tough time would be an understatement. When the radio announced Carrie was coming to Toronto, I immediately booked tickets for us all. As Carrie sang our life-song, we were all streaming tears.
I think this week’s verses are especially impactful to me because of all the temporary homes I’ve had. Add to that, recently having Todd’s Nanny Lois pass away and move into her forever home; the value of this Scripture has only deepened. With Nanny’s passing still fresh in our hearts, knowing this earth isn’t the end… that there’s more.. that Jesus loves us so much He’s gone to build a forever home for us all, brings so much comfort!
Jesus disciples were about as smart as us and they struggled to grasp what He was telling them. In the next verse, they ask, “how can we know the way?” to which Jesus makes everything clear when He explains, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Because of Christ, this earth can be just “windows and rooms”1 we’re passing through.
I hope you let Jesus’ words sink in. Don’t LET your hearts be troubled, no matter what’s going on in your world. You can sing along with Carrie because.. this is just your temporary home!
Prayer
Father…Your promises are so good they’re often hard for my brain to imagine. Understanding what you went through, to provide the way Jesus, is completely overwhelming. To know you’re preparing a place for me, so comforting! I thank You that I can know with certainty there is a better place, and I get to go there! One day, my temporary homeof earth will be replaced by my forever home, heaven! Cya soon Jesus!
[tweetthis]This is just a stop on the way to where I’m going @carrieunderwood #TemporaryHome #soulh2o[/tweetthis]
Carrie,
If you ever end up reading this post, I hope you know how much your music has ministered to us. Praying God blesses you with on overwhelming sense of His love and goodness.
Music Video for Temporary Home. I dare you to watch it and not cry girls 🙂
Yesterday I released a post called The World’s Biggest Game of Simon Says but I know some people call it, Follow The Leader. If you didn’t read the devotion you can just click on the Title and it will take you there. It might make this post just a little more powerful 🙂
In the devotion, it talks about how the Israelites followed God’s cloud wherever and whenever He moved it. This really caused me to question my level of trust in God’s leading and I asked you the same questions I was asking myself. As I wrote the post the song Oceans by Hillsong United was playing in my mind, but so was a quote from Tozer, I’m kinda ADD like that.
[tweetthis]“Christians don’t tell lies – they just go to church and sing them.” – A. W. Tozer[/tweetthis]
Ouch! I sometimes feel this way when we’re singing Oceans at church. My heart wants to mean every word, but I fear that sometimes I’m not willing to follow through on the statements I sing.
Oceans by Hillsong United
The line in Oceans that gets me is:
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders”
I want to live with that kind of faith. I want to be bold, courageous and brave. I want to follow God without borders. I want to answer the call like the song says:
“Wherever You would call me”
This makes me think of the movie We Bought A Zoo…again…it’s the ADD thing! I love inspiring true stories made into film and this is one of my faves. One statement by the father in the movie; played by Matt Damon is a quote I can’t forget:
[imic_button colour=”btn-info” type=”enabled” link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqE-yAfYAhw” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=”btn-lg”]VIDEO CLIP OF MATT DAMON’S CHARACTER LIVING OUT HIS 20 SECONDS OF BRAVERY IN THE MOVIE[/imic_button]
So, in sharing today’s #musicpic
with you, I’ve also shared a #paperbackpic and a #moviepic
I hope they all leave you inspired to follow the leader, giving God your 20 seconds of insane, embarrassingly brave courage …And, in the words of Benjamin Mee;
I promise you, something great will come of it!
Here’s my prayer from the devo with an addition to the end,
inspired by the song Oceans.
LOOK BELOW
To see where to find: the song, the book & the movie
Prayer
Father…Thank You for revealing your directions so I can know how to follow You. I read instructions in Your Word, I hear them when I’m quiet enough to listen to your voice, and sometimes I there’s a pounding in my chest when you want me to move. Please help me to be more sensitive to Your leading. Give me courage and a gift of faith to follow wherever and whenever you lead. Let my trust be without borders. In Jesus Name…Amen
[tweetthis]Read #followtheleader and learn about a great #musicpic #paperbackpic & #moviepic [/tweetthis]
TO ALL MY CANADIAN READERS…
HAPPY CIVIC HOLIDAY!!!!
I Hope You’re relaxing. As usual, I’m not sending out a devotion cause I’m out with the fam on this day off work riding the motorcycle to get ice-cream at the Dairy Freez!
Get ready for tomorrow’s #SoulH2O devotion. I share something about myself that you’d never guess!!!
I’ve received a lot of feedback from my DO YOU NEED TO TAKE DOWN A GOLIATH? post! It seems I’m not the only one facing tough times in their life. People are reporting giants of all shapes and sizes. Whether yours is: financial, relational, physical or spiritual; roaring in your ear at work, in the home, at school or on the field…
God wants you to take down your Goliath!
Giants are seldom taken down overnight, so I thought you might need a little more encouragement on the battlefield. I know the podcasts and books I suggested in the previous post will help, but if you’ve listened to them and still need a boost, I’ve got just the right thing for you!
Music motivates me powerfully and I know it helps a bunch of you too. In the past I’ve shared some of my favorite music in #MusicPics posts on the blog or just as Facebook links. However I share them, I usually get word back from readers on how the song(s) inspire. Take a look at this list of my latest #MusicPics complete with links to help bring your Goliath down!
I want to thank those readers who sent me some MUSIC THAT HELPS TAKE GIANTS DOWN for this list.
GIANT KILLER SONGS
Our Countdown starts off with the most appropriate song:
Don't you be afraid
Of giants in your way
With God you know that anything's possible
So step into the fight
He's right there by your side
The stones inside your hand might be small
But watch the giants fall
Every giant will fall, the mountains will move
Every chain of the past, You've broken in two
Over fear, over lies, we're singing the truth
That nothing is impossible
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
#Dare2Share Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!
This devotion is all about how God Repurposes Lives. It’s the last post in a 4 Part “NEW Series”.
The series is a group of devotions I felt the Lord putting on my heart for the NEW YEAR in 2017 but really apply to any new year, new season, new phase in life. Read the INTRO/New Strength HERE, #2 New Beginnings HERE and #3 New Heart HERE
Can God Repurpose Me and Make All Things New?
“Look! I am making all things new.”
Revelation 21:5 MEV
My friend Joy is totally cool. She’s one of the few women who know how to use power tools more than most carpenter men! Joy makes the most beautiful furniture by repurposing old, broken or discarded pieces.
A while ago she posted a picture of this gorgeous coffee table on Facebook and I clicked “like” as I often do on her stuff. When I did, Joy wrote me to tell me the story behind the table, she explained how the legs from the table were made “from old nasty, shiny brown bed posts left in the junk pile after the garage sale”1 at Braeside Camp, the place where we met oh so many years ago!
As you can see, Joy made all things new with these bed posts.
GOD’S JOB
God repurposes lives like Joy repurposes wood. He’s is in the business of making all things new with our lives.
Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers to remind them of this truth when he said,
“anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”2
It’s the same message that God had John declare in Revelations,
“the former things have passed away…Look! I am making all things new…Write, for these words are faithful and true.”3
Just like the furniture Joy builds out of things people classify as “junk” or stuff people don’t see as worth anything anymore, God repurposes our lives. Like Steven Curtis Chapman’s song says,
“the world was broken, fallen and battered and scarred. You took the hopeless, the life wasted, ruined and marred and made it new. You make all things new.”4
YOUR JOB
Let this be the year you ‘Let God’ move you forward in His process to make all things new in your life. ‘Let’ the former things pass away…Let them go! Give God your broken, fallen, battered and scarred pieces. You’ll see what a beautiful, useful person He can build you into being because God Repurposes Lives and He can repurpose yours!
Prayer
Father…I thank You for the opportunity to start new each year. I’m so glad you don’t give up on me but keep sanding and refining me. Restore me to be the person you’ve called me to be, better than I used to be. I commit myself to Your plans and purposes along with the process to get me there. I ‘LET’ You create all things new in me. In Jesus Name…Amen
[tweetthis]God Repurposes Lives. He’s in the business of making all things new with our lives.[/tweetthis]
HERE’S MY FRIEND JOY HOGBEN
If you’d like to check out more of her masterpieces CLICK below:
On Monday I wrote a devotional called Hungry. I shared about how I was woken up by my grumbling tummy and one of the things that God spoke to me as I was up.
Feeding the Hungry
I think I could write about 12 devotionals from all God spoke to me that night! The message about our duty as Christians to help feed the Hungryhas been a call that is very near and dear to my family. My grandmother instilled in us an eye to look for those in need and DO SOMETHING about it! Christmas makes me think of her and how she gave.
Christmas compels us to give.
Christmas is the time when we remember how God the Father gave His son to the world…when Jesus gave up His heavenly home for a lowly stable.
Christmas inspires us to give beyond ourselves.
For months now I have been partnering with Cheryl Weber, Dave Shelley and the crew at Crossroads Relief & Development on a project in Turkana, Kenya. If you’ve come to an event where I’ve spoken at you’ve heard this before and thankfully some of you have been compelled to join with us in helping the people of Turkana be able to feed themselves!
If I had millions of dollars, I would give Crossroads the money needed to finish this project and stop people from dying of starvation in Turkana! Since I’m not independently wealthy, I will give what I can and use what I can to help get the word out. If we all DO SOMETHING the project will reach completion and thousands of families will be saved!
I can’t express enough how much this project touches my heart! God is growing gardens in the desert!!! Take time to watch this short video clip that explains the project and lets you see for yourself how they are growing gardens in the desert of Turkana, Kenya!
As I’ve been thinking about writing this post for the past week, Matthew West‘s song keeps going through my head. I hope it inspires you to DO SOMETHING great and feed a Hungrysoul!
Be Still, There is a healer. His love is deeper than the sea His mercy, it is unfailing His arms are a fortress for the weak Let faith arise…I lift my hands to believe again
I am soooo pumped!!! I just saw on Twitter that Chris Tomlin had a new song. I love his music so I was interested…but…when I saw the name of the song…I was beyond excited! The name of his newest single is called “Waterfall”. It’s like it was written for my book and for my life!
So often life can be difficult. It is God’s Word, sometimes put to music, that gives me strength. The words of this song flood my mind with related scriptures.
Right now there are only 18, 626 views on the youtube clip, that’s how new it is! I listened to it once and had to buy it on itunes. You’re gonna want to buy it too! I can’t wait to sing it at church. I’ve listend to it so many times tonight. If it were a record I would have worn it out already, trying to get the words!
At the bottom there’s a link to the youtube clip and Chris Tomlin’s website. Make sure you click on it and then come back to read the words as you hear the song and let the waterfall of His mercy rain down on you!
Love, ~Sherry
WATERFALL
By Chris Tomlin
You’re an ocean to my soul…
CHORUS
Your love is like a waterfall, waterfall… You hear my heart when I call, when I call
Lately the song you will find me bopping my head to driving my mustang around town is “Wrecking Ball (Press on)” by Building 429, featuring the beautiful Blanca Reves Callahan. Blanca is from another one of my favorite bands, GROUP 1 CREW.
Wrecking Ball (Press On) was written by Building 429’s lead singer Jason Roy. He wrote it after struggling with some issues in his faith, feeling worn out and wondering if he was where God wanted him to be. Can you relate? I know we all wonder about this at some point. The music to this song is SOOO catchy! The words are powerful. It’s like an Anthem you can sing declaring your faith in God, even when you “still don’t get it”! It helps me be more committed to “Press On” no matter what! I love the name of their album too, “WE WON’T BE SHAKEN”! Makes me think of life verses of mine.
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised…we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” (Hebrews 11:35-36,39 NIV) In other words…PRESS ON!
I’ve included the words of the song for you ’cause the weather’s getting warmer and you might have the top down on your car. This way, when you’re jamming out in your car, you’ll know what to sing 🙂
Press ON
~Sherry
xoxo
Below are links to: the song (with and without lyrics), the story behind the song, Building 429’s website and Group 1 Crew’s website.
“Wrecking Ball (Press On)” (Building 429: feat. Blanca Callahan of Group 1 Crew)
Song Wrecking Ball (Press On) Lyrics Video Click HERE!
Story behind the song. Click HERE! LOVE learning why people wrote the song they did!!!
For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I love music! God speaks to me so clearly through song! If only I could sing 🙂 Yesterday’s devotional on “Forgiveness and Restored Relationship” just keeps going through my mind. It ended up being a big part of our Bible Study discussion last night. Matthew West’s song “Forgiveness” keeps running through my mind ever since the idea for the devotional came into my thoughts. Last June Todd and I went to The International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis and got to see Matthew West Emcee a “New Talent” Night. We have loved his music for years and it was great to see a different side of him–the funny side! It was a fun night and we were blessed to receive his book on Forgiveness. Matthew West at ICRS St. Louis
If you’ve never heard this song, you’re missing out! The story that inspired the song is amazing! It’s a wonderful story of forgiveness that led to a completely unexpected restored relationship. Click on the links below that go to the youtube links for his song and the short video clip or his website where you can buy his awesome music. Hope you listen and are inspired to forgive! Song–Forgiveness Story Behind The Song–Forgiveness Video Clip Matthew West’s Website
YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
Feeding the Hungry
