Blind Service

Happy Word-filled Wednesday!

The Lord brought a thought to my heart and mind recently:

Why do I sometimes serve Him without first acknowledging Him?

Then the Holy Spirit brought up a Word hid in my heart (Hosea 6:6):
"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

The Message says it this way:
"I'm after love that lasts, not more religion.
I want you to know God, not go to more prayer meetings."

Why do I sometimes serve Him without wholly acknowledging Him?

I have no idea.

How many times does He come to me, and I miss Him entirely?

Praise the Lord for convicting me of this, and praise Him even more for His mercy when I've failed.

He is good! He is God!!!

Father God, You are holy and perfect and the one thing that's fully right in my life. Help me to see You, to thirst for You, to worship You with no duplicity of heart or mind. Forgive me for sometimes serving You or writing about You or counseling others in You without first spending time with You myself. When You appear, Lord, I want to know You and recognize Your voice. I pray You would make my heart long for that more than it longs to serve. I know in doing so, I can serve You in the way You have planned for me. In Jesus' name, Amen.


For more Word-Filled Wednesday and for visual inspiration from Scripture, hike on over to:






And if you have time tomorrow, I'd love for you to hear something close to my heart. I'll be over at the Internet Cafe to share. It was so important to me, I changed my original devo which was going to be on overspending at Christmas. God must have a special purpose for it...

In the Key of HE,

In View of God's Mercies...

Happy Word-Filled Wednesday!!!!!

Lord, when I stop and reflect on the mercies You have given me...

I remember love, the kind that will never separate from me.

I remember grace, undeserved.

I remember the Holy Spirit, given to dwell inside of me, lead me, guide me.

I remember peace, supernatural.

I remember saving faith.

I remember patience, kindness, hope and comfort--imagine living life without these?

Glory and honor.

Forgiveness and reconciliation, thank You, God!

Righteousness and justification.

FREEDOM! (Can I hear an "Amen"?)

Eternal life and resurrection.

Sonship & Security.

I remember these mercies (and so many more), and I am overwhelmed. Do I even deserve one of them?

So what is my response, Lord?

Father God, thank You. Your mercies overwhelm me. I give myself to You this day--my soul, my mind, my body, my heart. I'm Yours, Lord. Take me and use me, or let me be still and hear Your voice. In You, I'll live and move and have my being. In You, I'll find my rest. It's in Your merciful name I pray, Amen.

For more beauty mixed with Truth or to join in on this WFW meme, go here:






In the Key of HE,

Romans 12:1/A POV Shift

Monday Manna is being hosted by Joanne at An Open Book today. I couldn't resist jumping in on the Scripture because I JUST FINISHED WRITING A DEVO ON ROMANS 12:1 for a completely unrelated writing project at my church (literally, the deadline was today). Joanne encouraged me to post some of it. I'm sure the timing is not a coincidence. Joanne posted an INCREDIBLE perspective on it, as far as all the others I've read so far, so go by and read and join in if you can...

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

My entire adult life has revolved around serving God, especially in worship and drama. For many years, this is how I understood Romans 12:1:

“…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…this is your spiritual act of worship.”

And I lived it out, offering myself to the Lord’s service, wherever He called me. I served Him with my talents, but also with my gifts of shepherding and encouragement. My prayer was for all of it to be holy and pleasing to the Lord, and to live out my call to worship.

An internal struggle came, however, when I noticed some strongholds in my life. Why am I struggling? I thought. I’m supposed to be holy! As I cried out desperately for help, the Lord lovingly showed me what I was missing in this “living sacrifice” kind of faith. He opened my eyes to the whole verse:

“THEREFORE, I urge you…IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices…” (emphasis mine)

Once I understood the entire verse (and its context with the preceding chapters), I realized that the emphasis is not on ME living a life of worship. Rather, it is on living with God’s mercies in full view. It’s saying, “Therefore—after eleven chapters of theology showing what you’ve died to, what you’re alive to, and what the Lord has done for you—THEREFORE—In view of those mercies, see worship for what it really is—not a gift you give to God—rather an offering of grateful sacrifice you live for God, knowing you don’t deserve a lick of those mercies.”

But there’s that one last word: sacrifice. I say I’ll give it all, yet I feel an agitated resistance to any discomfort that accompanies it. The only way for me to say “not my will, but Yours, Lord” is to continually focus on God’s character. It takes a mind that is preoccupied with the truth of God—as verse two says—a renewed mind.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

With His renewal (and constant help), I’m able to live out God’s “pleasing and perfect will,” and finally experience true worship—the kind that flows from a grateful heart.

Lord Jesus, I am overwhelmed when I stop to think of all the mercies You have given me. Eternal love and grace and joy, saving faith, strength, the Holy Spirit as a helper, righteousness, eternal life and security and everlasting peace. All of these and so much more compel me to live for you, yet I'm so bad at it sometimes. Forgive me, Lord. Forgive me when I forget to look from this point of view, and strengthen me according to Your Word. Thank You for giving me everything I need for this life and for Godliness. I long to sacrifice my all for you today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In the Key of HE,

At The Well/Marriage

Chelsey at Joyfully Living for His Glory is hosting this week, and she's asking us to discuss what it means to "stand for your marriage." PLEASE if you have the time, go over to her place to see what she has to say, as well as others. I guarantee you will receive a more extensive study on the subject, especially with the tough questions, than what I have to offer today.

I'm fully occupied with family priorities right now that I don't have time to blog an original on this subject. I was just going to bow out, and I shared my disappointment with the Lord. Then, just an hour or so later, as I was reading some emails from a Yahoo group of my friends, one of them typed that she had never fallen asleep in church before. THAT reminded me of a devo on marriage that I sent out to my edevo subscribers awhile back. I don't believe in coincidence, so I'm going to post that devo. While these words are not written from my "pen" this very day, they are still the cry of my heart's desire and conviction, so they may as well be. I hope the Lord of yesterday, today and forever uses these words to minister to someone who is led to read them.

All Settled?
Try to remember a time when you were so comfortable that you drifted off into a half-sleep. This happened to me often in church as a kid. It was the one place where I felt so at ease and warm inside that sometimes I would almost fall asleep. If it hadn’t been for the fear that people would judge me for dozing off all the way, I most certainly would have! It was a horrible feeling being in the middle of awake and asleep, though,… especially when the pipe organ chimed at the end of the service, and I would get a jolted tingle from head to toe as I tried to look awake to all those around me.

God has been so good to sound the pipe organ as I’ve needed it throughout my life—not just the ones in church, but also those in my spiritual life. Recently, the Lord chimed into my head the desire to ponder my role as a wife. I have a good marriage, but is it all it could be? I wonder if I’ve become content with patterns or attitudes that I shouldn’t be? In many ways, I contribute a great deal. In other ways, I’ve become too comfortable and nodded off. Have you who are married reflected upon this lately?

We all know the cliché about “settling down and getting married.” Well, what happens if you settle down to get married and then somewhere down the road, you just settle?!? Let me explain. I’ve recorded some of the things I’ve either said to myself or have heard others in marriage say over the past year or so (bear in mind these are usually from people who have been married for 10 or more years):

“I want us to be closer, but it’s just so much work!”
“We don’t have anything in common anymore.”
“He says I’ve ‘let myself go.’”
“We stopped trying to pray or read the Bible together, because we end up arguing.”
“I pray for him, but nothing ever changes.”
“I’m so tired of hearing him complain about his work. Can’t he just be happy?”
“I can’t ever do anything right in his eyes, so I’ve just quit trying.”
“He has his TV in the den and I have mine in the bedroom….that way, we both watch what we want to watch.”
“He wants more of me than I have to give. I’m tired after being with the kids all day.”
“I like working because I get praise there. That’s more than I can say for home.”
“He can just forget about having sex more than once a week. That’s enough as it is.”

Ok, I’m stopping, just in case you’re getting uncomfortable. I could probably fill up an entire page with comments just like these. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not talking about major problems in marriage, just the normal everyday stuff. Unfortunately, if you settle in the small areas every single day, the potential is greater for large issues later.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b, NIV)

My paraphrase for this subject:
“He gave us marriage that we could have one life together, and have it to the full.”

I want to experience His fullness and abundance in my marriage, as much as it is up to me, don’t you? That means we need to pray and then respond as He leads us…He will do the rest. For me, that may mean watching a motorcycle race on TV instead of Law and Order (or working on my blog--ouch). It may mean caring enough about my husband to truly listen to him, even if I’m I’ve used up all my energy for the day. It may mean getting out of my stretchy shorts before he comes home so that I can look beautiful for him. For you, it might mean returning gentle words instead of harsh ones…or maybe trading Nagatha’s hat in for Carissa’s! ☺ Have you thought about the things that matter to your spouse lately? Do you pray for him daily? No matter the issues, we all could use this piece of advice from Philippians 2:1-5 to help us stay awake in our relationships:

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, 
if any comfort from His love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:”

Somehow these verses are easier live out with our friends or co-workers or people at church, but God desires our marriages to honor Him, “shining like stars in the universe as we hold out the Word of life.” (Philippians 2:15, 16a)

So, dear married friends, as much as it is up to us, let’s pray together that the Lord would settle us on the firm foundation of His plan for our part in a God-honoring union—not for the norm in this “crooked and depraved generation.” Stay in the Word and pray Pray PRAY, and it will guide you how to live and love less selfishly, more deeply, less casually and more fully…may we never settle for less!

In the Key of HE,

Not For The Complacent

Wowzer--okay, this morning is a time I've set aside for study and reflection. Only a few lines into my bookmarked page of Fellowship of the Burning Heart by A.W. Tozer, these words left me speechless as I read them. They'll have me thinking and praying all day. How about you?

Tozer says,
"The merits of Jesus are enough, my brethren, they are enough. We're going to Heaven on the merits of Another, there's no question about that. We'll get in because another One went out. We live because another One died. We'll be with God because another One was rejected from the Presence of God in the horror and terror of Calvary. We'll have the vision beatific because One hung with darkness around Him in hours of agony. We go to Heaven on the merits of Another. So, your faith rests down upon the character of God and the merits of the Son of God. We don't have to have a penny, only our poor, miserable souls."

I am so thankful for this deep, rich love given to this poor, miserable child of His. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

In the Key of HE,

Backward Praise

I've been leading kids' worship for almost eighteen years now--long enough that it has become incredibly natural and easy for me to do. Over the last five years, God has laid it on my heart to raise up youth to lead the younger kids in the same way. So I'm on the stage less and less, now directing from the floor more and more. As a result, I've had to learn all the motions backwards. (Yes, I'm in a very contemporary church where we do lots of ACTIVE hand motions and choreography to our songs).

Anyway, if I didn't do the motions backwards, the kids on the stage would be all confused, hands and flip-flops flying every which direction. The older I get, the more concentration it takes to be able to do the motions both ways. It takes extremely intentional thinking on my part. It may sound easy, but...NOT!

This emulates my 'daily living' worship as well. It is so easy for me to spend time in the Word, soaking it up, applying it, teaching it, writing it. It's quite another to mirror the Word to others. That takes extreme focus on my part, as well as intentional surrender to the Holy Spirit. Sounds so simple when I'm reading it and praying it, but...NOT!

James 1:22-25 (NIV) 

Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. 

Do what is says. 

Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says

 is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, 

after looking at himself, 

goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 

But the man who looks intently into the perfect Law 

that gives freedom, and continues to do this, 

not forgetting what he has heard but doing it-

-he will be blessed in what he does.