I’m pretty out of it in the morning, but I must have been especially tired last Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, I read through a Psalm as I usually do and then I prayed. On Wednesday I went back and read the same Psalm over again by accident. I didn’t even remember that I’d read it the day before! On Tuesday I hadn’t underlined or highlighted anything, but on Wednesday the words of that Psalm gave me the encouragement I needed for that day.
At first I felt a little embarrassed because of my mistake. How could I have read a whole Psalm the previous morning and not remembered it? Not only that, but how could I get so much out of the Psalm on Wednesday when the previous day I hadn’t highlighted anything?
This scenario reminded me of the movie “50 First Dates” starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Let me clarify something – I am by no means recommending this movie! I guess I’ll claim the adage, “Do as I say and not as I do!” However, the premise of this movie does have some value. In the movie, Adam meets Drew who has amnesia and never remembers the previous day. Adam spends every day wooing Drew, spending time with her and making her fall in love with him. Then he wakes up the next morning and starts from square one. He loves her so much that he is willing have 50 first dates with her.
In the movie, Drew Barrymore’s character began each day with a fresh, new perspective on life. Wouldn’t it be nice sometimes to not remember what happened yesterday? In real life, we can get a positive outlook for the day by spending time with God. We can have 50 first dates (or more) with God.
It doesn’t even matter if we get up and read the same Scripture passage every day (although at some point we’ll have to move on – there’s a lot of Scripture to cover). Sometimes one Scripture will affect us differently than it did the last time we read it. The important thing is that we’re spending time in God’s Word each day. We shouldn’t get frustrated if we don’t remember everything we’ve read, because maybe what we read was just enough to get us through one day.
If you’ve read my previous two blog entries, then you’ll know that I’m getting up every morning to spend the first minutes of my day with God. It’s been an adjustment since I’m “crabbier” in the morning, but it’s been a great change in my life. Now I am going to bump my First Fruits Challenge up to 50 First Dates with God. To meet this goal I get to spend 27 more dates with God. That will equal fifty mornings spent with the only One who can tolerate me at that time of the day. Do you think maybe I could become a morning person? I guess only God can do miracles!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 12 (but try not to forget you read it!).
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Fruit of the Firstfruits Challenge
Two weeks have passed since I began the Firstfruits Challenge. When I began this challenge to wake up every morning and spend my first ten minutes with God, I didn’t even know what that looked like. Should I pray? Should I read Scripture? Which book of the Bible should I choose?
I decided to open up the book of Psalms and start reading. Some days I would read a chapter and then meditate on the words. Other days I would read a few verses and then spend time in prayer. Most days it was difficult to get up and get going, but I always felt good about the day after spending the first few minutes with God.
Overall, what I’m learning through this experience is that I feel grounded. After my quiet time with God, I stand on solid footing for the day ahead. When trials and difficult situations pop up, I am better equipped to handle them knowing that I’ve started my day with the One who gives me strength to handle each situation.
My daughter and I love to tackle the rock climbing wall at our local community center. It’s an amazing experience to climb the wall and feel the satisfaction of ringing the bell at the top. In order to ring the bell, we have to watch our footing and grab on to the solid rocks. If we didn’t have these rocks to use for leverage, we would never be able to scale that wall.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God. We need the firm foundation of His Word to use as footing while we scale the wall called “life.”
When I started this challenge, I expected my life to be turned upside down. I thought something radical might happen. Instead, I found stability. I found the firm footing on which I could start my day. I found that God is a God of consistency and strength.
There was one day when I did have a “light bulb moment.” This particular morning I was especially tired after a night of restless sleep. I decided I “deserved” to pray about my lack of sleep before I read the Bible. It was after I presented my request to God that I opened my Bible to Psalm 5 and read verses 1-3. Here’s what they said …
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.”
I was so excited that the Lord would hear my voice and listen to my requests in the morning! I was crying out to Him for help and I could wait with expectation. I felt like God was telling me it was okay to lay my requests before Him because He wants to help me. These verses showed me that He is a God of compassion. I’d be crazy not to spend the first minutes of my day with a God like that!
The Firstfruits Challenge continues. I figure if Someone wants to spend time with me in the morning, I’d better take advantage of it. I can use all the stable footing I can get!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 5.
I decided to open up the book of Psalms and start reading. Some days I would read a chapter and then meditate on the words. Other days I would read a few verses and then spend time in prayer. Most days it was difficult to get up and get going, but I always felt good about the day after spending the first few minutes with God.
Overall, what I’m learning through this experience is that I feel grounded. After my quiet time with God, I stand on solid footing for the day ahead. When trials and difficult situations pop up, I am better equipped to handle them knowing that I’ve started my day with the One who gives me strength to handle each situation.
My daughter and I love to tackle the rock climbing wall at our local community center. It’s an amazing experience to climb the wall and feel the satisfaction of ringing the bell at the top. In order to ring the bell, we have to watch our footing and grab on to the solid rocks. If we didn’t have these rocks to use for leverage, we would never be able to scale that wall.
It’s the same way with our relationship with God. We need the firm foundation of His Word to use as footing while we scale the wall called “life.”
When I started this challenge, I expected my life to be turned upside down. I thought something radical might happen. Instead, I found stability. I found the firm footing on which I could start my day. I found that God is a God of consistency and strength.
There was one day when I did have a “light bulb moment.” This particular morning I was especially tired after a night of restless sleep. I decided I “deserved” to pray about my lack of sleep before I read the Bible. It was after I presented my request to God that I opened my Bible to Psalm 5 and read verses 1-3. Here’s what they said …
“Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.”
I was so excited that the Lord would hear my voice and listen to my requests in the morning! I was crying out to Him for help and I could wait with expectation. I felt like God was telling me it was okay to lay my requests before Him because He wants to help me. These verses showed me that He is a God of compassion. I’d be crazy not to spend the first minutes of my day with a God like that!
The Firstfruits Challenge continues. I figure if Someone wants to spend time with me in the morning, I’d better take advantage of it. I can use all the stable footing I can get!
If you want to know more, read Psalm 5.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Firstfruits Challenge
If you know me, then you know I am not a morning person. When my alarm goes off my first reaction is to shut it off and go back to sleep. I don’t like to talk to people (including my poor husband) and I’m not friendly in the morning. I really don’t like mornings. Have I stressed that enough? Knowing this about me will make what I’m about to say all the more ironic.
In my weekly women’s Bible study, I felt challenged to spend more time alone with God. I realized if I really want to hear from Him, I need to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I also know that God wants our best – whether that involves time, financial giving or whatever He might ask of us.
As I was thinking about this, the term “firstfruits” popped into my head. I knew I’d heard it somewhere in the Bible, so I looked it up. It turns out the word was used in Leviticus 23:9-14, where the Feast of Firstfruits required that the first crops harvested be offered to God. The Israelites could not eat the food from their harvest until they had made this offering.
Personally, I felt like God wanted me to give Him the firstfruits of my day. It made me laugh, because if God really wants to spend the first part of my day with me, then good for Him! Not many people do! However, if anyone can handle me in the morning, it's God. Actually, He’s probably the only One who can handle me in the morning!
I decided to spend 10 minutes with God each morning as the first thing I do. It may not seem like a lot, but to a non-morning person, it’s a start! I’m calling it the “Firstfruits Challenge.”
Today was the second day of my self-imposed challenge and it went well. I woke up, shut off my alarm and pumped myself up by chanting, “firstfruits, firstfruits, firstfruits,” over and over again in my head. (Yes, I am officially a dork.) I got out of bed and spent time with the only One (understandably) who wants to spend time with me in the morning.
I’m excited to see how my days are changed because of this. Whether you’re a morning person or not, will you consider joining me in the Firstfruits Challenge? Let’s find out what God has in store for us even before our morning coffee. Don’t worry … the firstfruits chant is optional!
If you want to know more, read Leviticus 23:9-14
In my weekly women’s Bible study, I felt challenged to spend more time alone with God. I realized if I really want to hear from Him, I need to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I also know that God wants our best – whether that involves time, financial giving or whatever He might ask of us.
As I was thinking about this, the term “firstfruits” popped into my head. I knew I’d heard it somewhere in the Bible, so I looked it up. It turns out the word was used in Leviticus 23:9-14, where the Feast of Firstfruits required that the first crops harvested be offered to God. The Israelites could not eat the food from their harvest until they had made this offering.
Personally, I felt like God wanted me to give Him the firstfruits of my day. It made me laugh, because if God really wants to spend the first part of my day with me, then good for Him! Not many people do! However, if anyone can handle me in the morning, it's God. Actually, He’s probably the only One who can handle me in the morning!
I decided to spend 10 minutes with God each morning as the first thing I do. It may not seem like a lot, but to a non-morning person, it’s a start! I’m calling it the “Firstfruits Challenge.”
Today was the second day of my self-imposed challenge and it went well. I woke up, shut off my alarm and pumped myself up by chanting, “firstfruits, firstfruits, firstfruits,” over and over again in my head. (Yes, I am officially a dork.) I got out of bed and spent time with the only One (understandably) who wants to spend time with me in the morning.
I’m excited to see how my days are changed because of this. Whether you’re a morning person or not, will you consider joining me in the Firstfruits Challenge? Let’s find out what God has in store for us even before our morning coffee. Don’t worry … the firstfruits chant is optional!
If you want to know more, read Leviticus 23:9-14
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
God is God
Life’s not always going to go our way. It’s a fact that’s sad, but true! We all have struggles in our daily lives. Whether our issues involve finances, health, family, friends, church, work or something else, we all have struggles.
There’s something I’ve been struggling with lately. Sometimes I wonder why I have to deal with this issue. It affects my family, friends and everyday life. I’ve been praying about it a lot because this isn’t my first experience with this problem. I’ve been down this road before and I didn’t enjoy the first trip!
If there’s one thing God’s taught me during this time, it’s that God is God and I am not. (I think Steven Curtis Chapman has mentioned this, too!) Even though I don’t understand why I struggle in this particular area, He does. He created me and He knows me better than anyone else. I don’t need to have all the answers, I just need to know that He’s there beside me.
Yesterday the kids and I were reading in John (we switched to reading the New Testament to get ready for Easter). In John 1:1-2 it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” The “Word” here refers to Jesus, which means that Jesus and God have been around since the beginning of time. That’s a hard, yet amazing concept to fathom.
When life is difficult and uncertain, I can rest in the knowledge that God is God. He’s been here since the beginning and He’ll be with me through every problem I face.
Thank you, God, for being the God who created the world and the God who cares about me. You have proven that You love me and I trust in that love.
If you want to know more, read John 1:1-18
There’s something I’ve been struggling with lately. Sometimes I wonder why I have to deal with this issue. It affects my family, friends and everyday life. I’ve been praying about it a lot because this isn’t my first experience with this problem. I’ve been down this road before and I didn’t enjoy the first trip!
If there’s one thing God’s taught me during this time, it’s that God is God and I am not. (I think Steven Curtis Chapman has mentioned this, too!) Even though I don’t understand why I struggle in this particular area, He does. He created me and He knows me better than anyone else. I don’t need to have all the answers, I just need to know that He’s there beside me.
Yesterday the kids and I were reading in John (we switched to reading the New Testament to get ready for Easter). In John 1:1-2 it says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” The “Word” here refers to Jesus, which means that Jesus and God have been around since the beginning of time. That’s a hard, yet amazing concept to fathom.
When life is difficult and uncertain, I can rest in the knowledge that God is God. He’s been here since the beginning and He’ll be with me through every problem I face.
Thank you, God, for being the God who created the world and the God who cares about me. You have proven that You love me and I trust in that love.
If you want to know more, read John 1:1-18
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