Category Archives: Action

Oct25

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 25, 2014 by lsgrlr

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 12. “Then Samuel said to the people, ‘It is the Lord who raised up Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up from the land of Egypt.Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers: When Jacob had gone into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place. And when they forgot the Lord their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. Then they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths; but now deliver us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.’ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you dwelt in safety. And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king” (Verses 6-12). The people had the REAL King ruling them, guiding their steps bringing them victory. Yet they were not satisfied, they wanted what everyone else had, a human king. Yesterday I watched this video (https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152418955430222&set=vb.13895090221&type=2&theater). In the video Lecrae brings up the topic of functional saviors, things we grab hold of that are NOT God. The people had the SAVIOR, God Almighty, but they chose a functional savior, Saul. We read these verses and are shaken at the illogical-ness of Israel, forgetting that we do the same thing Every. Single. Day. Don’t believe me? When trials come, is God, really the first thing that comes to mind? Or is it “what can I do to fix this?” If it is the latter, then guess what… functional savior. Israel is still paying the penalty for choosing a man over God. The lesson: Real Savior trumps functional savior everytime.

Oct23

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 23, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 10. “Then Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah, and said to the children of Israel, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed you.’ But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans” (Verses 17-19). Israel completely missed it, the opportunity for repentance. God at this very moment is giving them an opportunity to realize their sin and return to Him. But, alas they did not see the door. They traded the infallibility of God for the limitations of man. I feel saddened for Israel and for humanity at large. Why? Because this is our M.O. We want what we want and many times God gives it to us, but in the process He reminds us that the choice we are making means that we are rejecting Him. And right here is the moment of decision, do we continue to reject God or do we return and repent. The problem. We often miss the moment, because we are so focused on our wants we can’t hear God talk. Israel heard, the “here is you king” part, but missed the “you are rejecting God” part. History tells us which of the two really was the better choice. Here’s our lesson: don’t be so caught up in our wants, that we reject God.

Oct20

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 20, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 8. “And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.’ So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. And he said, ‘This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day'” (Verses 7, 10-18). Ever read the side affects of a prescription? Often times it makes you wonder if it isn’t better to just stay sick and let your body heal itself. These verses read to me like medicinal side affects. Israel cries out for a king, which seems silly since God was their ruler. Why would you forsake the maker of the earth, of you, for someone as limited as yourself? God surmises, that they had rejected Him. God relents, but then tells Samuel let the people know exactly what they are signing up for. He tells them this: basically the king will take the best of their things for himself, and not really give them anything on return. Uhmmm… that doesn’t sound like a fair exchange. Your are leaving, God, that gives you everything freely, for an earthly king that will take everything? Here’s the thing with medicinal products the side affects happens to less than one percent of the population that use the product, therefore the benefits outweigh the risks. However, when Samuel informed the people about the ways of the king, the behavior was not a one percent change, it was a FACT. The king WOULD do everything God prophesied. Here the risks outweighed the benefits by A LOT. Be careful what you ask for, anything over God is just not worth it. The side affect: “The Lord will NOT hear you.”

Oct17

AND I QUOTE…

Posted on October 17, 2014 by lsgrlr

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How we live what we know is the MOST important. People need to see, because a lot of people don’t hear.

Oct15

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 15, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 4. “So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died” (Verses 10-11). Here’s something to think about disobedience can make God look weak to others. Right about now you are thinking, “What did she just write?!” Let me explain, in the verse prior to this Israel goes against the Philistines and are badly defeated. So they get a “bright” idea, “Let bring the Ark of God…” Yeah, uhmmm, bad plan. Why? God had a specific place for the Ark to be. and very specific rules about how His dwelling place should be handled. Israel ignored ALL the rules. The Ark comes, Israel starts rejoicing (they assume victory, because God is in their midst). The Philistines hear the rejoicing, they have heard of God’s miracles, they know He is mighty. He has stopped waters, and brought plagues. They are afraid, but they go to battle against Israel anyway… and they WIN. Now, let’s take a step back and answer this very honest question, if you were a Philistine in that battle what would your view of Israel’s God be after such a victory? Israel did not seek God, they did what they wanted without ever asking God what they should do. They disobeyed His laws, and statutes and still expected victory. Their defeat sent one message to Israel, but it sent a very different message to the Philistines. Their disobedience made God look small in front of the enemy (no worries He fixes that in the next Chapter… read ahead). Our actions paint a picture of God to the world at large: It either shows them that He is GOD of all or it shows them He is god of none. What picture does your Christian life paint?

Oct14

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 14, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 3. “Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation… So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. Then the Lord appeared again in Shiloh. For the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (Verses 1, 19-21). Did you see the contrast? In verse one these sad words appear, “…the word of the Lord was rare in those days.” There was no revelation of the Lord, no God leading His people to victory. The relationship between God and Israel was so bad, that the line of the Levites (God’s priest and pastors) had been judge by God for it’s wickedness. There was no one living righteous, no one pointing the people to God. Thus, God did not appear before them. This is such a sad picture to me. There are many days (such as yesterday) where without a word from God, I would be down, depressed, and lost. So I can’t imagine the spiritual state of Israel with no guidance from God. Enter Samuel, a child who literally was raised by God… for a such a time as this. Remember Hannah? Remember her willingness to keep her promise? Well this is the fruit of her obedience… “Then the LORD appeared in Shiloh (again)”. Hannah’s obedience opened the door for the people to once again reignite their relationship with God. Here’s the kicker, that’s what we (Christians) are called to do. Our faith is not meant for us, and us alone. Someone took the time to share with us, and now we can enjoy the peace and joy that comes from knowing God. Let’s go out and do the same. Let’s bring God back to America!

Oct10

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 10, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

1 Samuel 1. “Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli.And she said, ‘O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.’ So they worshiped the Lord there” (Verses 24-28). I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for Hannah to give up the one thing she had always wanted, a child. She was married, loved, but her inability to give birth left her feeling incomplete. She prays and asks God to open her womb and He does, she makes a promise to give the child to God. Here’s the amazing part, she really does it. She keeps her promise. She gives her one and only son to the Lord. I have made promises to the Lord, way less traumatizing than this, and still have had trouble following through with what I promised. I have even been known to make compromises to the promise in order for the impact to be less stunning to me. Hannah, GAVE her child to God. She did not add an amendment to the promise, she didn’t say, “Okay Lord, lets wait till he is an adult.” She kept her promise and God blessed her. However the blessing did not just stop there it spread, to all of Israel and to us as well. How? Samuel appointed David to be king of Israel. David is the forefather of Jesus. Through whom our sins are forgiven. Obedience, the gift that keeps on giving. Strive to be a Hannah.

Oct7

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 7, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Ruth 2. “So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, ‘Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?’ And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge'” (Verses 10-12). This is a beautiful portion of scripture. It is the blessing of obedience, and a picture of the blessing that comes from keeping your commitment. Let’s change the characters for a moment, let’s makes Boaz, Jesus. make Naomi, the Holy Spirit, and make Ruth, us (human beings looking for their path). Now let’s go back to the story. The Spirit tells us to go, but we cling. Then we meet Jesus, who blesses us for making a choice to follow His Spirit, letting go of our past. See the correlation? See the picture that is being painted with this story? It is the very same offer Christ makes today. His Spirit gives us the choice to follow Christ or stick with what we know. One path leads us to “emptiness” the other path leads to everlasting life and adventure. However, the “empty” path is lively, bright, filled with color and many follow because from the outside it seems better. While the new life and adventure path is dusty, dirty, and hidden in the bushes, you have to seek it, to find it. Orpah chose the easy path of going back to what she knew, and we never hear of her again. Ruth chose to follow the path “less traveled”, and walked right into a blessing.

Oct1

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on October 1, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 18. “So they took the things Micah had made, and the priest who had belonged to him, and went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure; and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no ties with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth Rehob. So they rebuilt the city and dwelt there. And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel. However, the name of the city formerly was Laish. Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh” (Verses 27-31). I can’t imagine how much these actions must have grieved God’s soul. The tribe of Dan still had not possessed their inheritance, they decided it was time and went forth. On their journey who should they meet, none other than Micah. See where this is going? Dan is aimless and searching and who do they find? A person worshiping a false god, and a priest who pays homage to a god who is NOT real. God had kept every single promise, yet they worshiped idols they made with their own hands. Why? Because there was no light, there was no one pointing them to the truth. Micah may have had good intentions, but his wrong actions caused an entire tribe to follow an idol. If we don’t share the truth, someone will always be willing to share the lie. Christians rise up! Be the light you are called to be. People are hurting, are seeking, if we don’t share the healer…someone will share a band-aid.

Sep30

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

Posted on September 30, 2014 by lsgrlr

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I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Judges 17. “The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Verses 5-6). This chapter has always been a little confusing to me, but today I think I finally understand it. Micah wasn’t trying to be rebellious when he built the craved image. He was seeking God, but did not know how. The people had no leadership, no one to say, “This is what the Lord says…” Thus, everyone did what was right in THEIR own sight, and this is where the problem comes in. If you know the truth share it, don’t expect that because you “get it” others do as well. We ALL were created to love and serve God, and when that portion of our heart isn’t filled with the right thing, we to seek things to fill it with any and everything. Micah wanted to serve God so he built an idol. Right intention, wrong action. If you know the truth share it. Help fill what’s missing in the life of another. If we don’t, they will fill it with the wrong thing.