Will You Trust Me?

I am honored to have my sweet friend Nicole Doran guest post today at His Table For Two. Nicole is a breath of fresh air. Every time I see her I feel a little lighter and my heart feels brighter. She refreshes the hearts of the saints. Truly. "...you have refreshed the hearts of the saints." (Philemon 1:7)

I am excited that she will refresh your heart in Christ today, too! 

"...refresh my heart in Christ."

Philemon 1:20

Here's Nicole....

Nicole, Bob and their sweet cherubs

I am truly humbled and blessed to be guest writing for His Table For Two. Sharon is a treasure in Christ, and she has been a blessing in my life. I pray this entry, and all others so carefully transcribed, finds Him meeting you right where you are. ~ Nicole

"Will You Trust Me?"

Have you ever felt like a turtle without its shell? Did you know without its shell, a turtle cannot survive? 

Have you ever felt so backed into a corner that you couldn't see the way out? 

Have you ever felt like you were buried with fear? 

I have felt these things from time to time, and more so recently, as I look at the state of our world. 

Why am I telling you this? Because, I want to tell you what The Lord asked me. He asked, "Will you trust Me?"

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while,
perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."
- 1 Peter 5:10

"Will you trust Me?" Well, Lord, of course I trust You; You are in control, but...

"Will you trust Me?" Well, Lord, of course I trust You; You have a plan, but...

"Will you trust Me?" Well, Lord, of course I trust You; You foresaw all of this, but...

"Will you trust Me?" Well, Lord, of course I trust You; You love me, but...

Is any of this familiar to you?

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you...
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
- Jeremiah 29:11

Hmmm, "For I know the thoughts I have toward you...to give you a future and a hope, not to harm you." What does that mean? Does that mean that we will never experience trials? Does that mean that we will never go through valleys? Does that mean life will always be simple? 

Put simply, no. 

But...here's the Good News...He is with us...through all of it! When we are like the turtle, when we are riddled with fear, when we feel cornered... He is there!

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me."
- Psalm 139: 7-10

Ok, so He's always with us. Then why do we feel these ways sometimes? Some will say it's condemnation from the enemy. Others will say it's sin which separates us from communion with God. Still others will suggest it's a test of faith. 

We may hear that it's conviction from The Holy Spirit. Or maybe we are told it's a season of being "stretched". 

What do I say? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. And, Yes.

Yes?...Yes. It is not for me to say which of these are true for someone else at any given time.  That is only for The Lord to say. 

What I CAN say, is that all of these have been true for me in my Christian walk. And ultimately, where do I wind up? On my knees, seeking His face and praising Him for His grace, His glory, and His love for this doubting, ungrateful, sinner. He alone can only truly know the heart of His children. It is to our hearts that He speaks His truth...softly, gently, clearly and lovingly in a language He knows we will understand.

"And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you:
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest on me." -2 Cor. 12:9

I will glory in my infirmities? Yes. Because it is during those times that we are drawn closer to Him. It is during those times that we come to know more of His nature. It is during those times that we come to understand how much He loves us and how perfect His plans are for us. And even more, it is during those times that we learn just how strong or weak our trust in Him and our love for Him are. Then we become aware of the cover of His shadow, and the comfort of His rod, and the guidance of His staff.

And we realize: we never lost our shell. He was always covering our circumstance.

He is the way out of the corner if we just follow His lead.

He tells us 365 times in His Word "fear not..." as He extends His hand for us to walk with Him.

Let's trust the Shepherd together. ~ Nicole

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever."
- Psalm 23

Resolution or Transformation

"'Resolve to honor My name,' 
says the LORD Almighty."
Malachi 2:2

"Do not conform 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."

Romans 12:12

A new year! A time for reflection and for looking ahead for growth and change.  Lasting and fruitful change. Transformation. That can only come through the perfect Word of God. "Every word of God is flawless..." Proverbs 30:5

Transformation. A surrendered heart pursuing holiness. A willingness to yield to the bittersweet process of purification through the washing of the water of the Word. "...offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness." Romans 6:19

Resolutions can tend to be self-centered. Resolutions often are about me, my strength and my commitment. Transformation is Christ-centered. Transformation comes from the renewing of our minds by the washing of the water of God's Word. We surrender and yield to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and allow His transformation to take place in our lives through the Truth of God's Word. And WOW...He transforms us into His image! "You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Col. 3:10

"And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3:18

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Psalm 51:10 

The condition of my heart before the Lord moment-by-moment is most important to me. God creates a pure heart in us. God renews a steadfast spirit in us. My responsibility is to keep my heart before Him in humility. I want to always have a teachable heart. I want to be willing to be broken."The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18  

"Every time we open the Word of God, it should be for the purpose of being broken." - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

“I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite." Isaiah 57:15

As I daily surrender my heart to His truth, He creates a pure heart in me and transforms my heart to be more like His. Wow! That sure is humbling and awesome.

If we resolve to do anything this year, let's resolve to honor His name and be  transformed by His Word. "...'resolve to honor My name,' says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 2:2   This resolve is too lofty for me to attain on my own.  Only by HIS grace and Word can it be so.  His divine power gives us everything we need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)  Thank You, Lord. 

"I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word."

Psalm 119:16

Your Devotional Journal

Saying Grace ~ Bring your heart to God in prayer.

Your Portion ~ Where has God met you in His Word today?

Nourishment ~ How does God want to mold and change my heart?

Second Helpings ~ How does God want me to be a doer of His Word today?

Time for Dessert ~ What can I go and share with others today?

"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,

and praise the name of the LORD your God,

Who has dealt wondrously with you..."

Joel 2:26

Womb With A View ~ Christmas 2012

“And now the LORD says—He who formed me in the womb to be His servant…for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength.”

Isaiah 49:5

  

"...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28

As God knits together His precious handiwork in a mother's womb, the Creator ordains the days and knows His purpose for His creation.

”For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

I think of the miraculous first offspring of Mary’s womb. The One who was with God in the beginning, the One through whom all things were made (John 4:1-4), was now being knit together by our Heavenly Father’s hands as a Babe.

Mary’s womb was a womb with a view.

God formed Jesus in Mary’s womb to be His servant, our Savior and our Redeemer. Jesus loves the people of the world perfectly and completely. We need a Redeemer because of our sin, rebellion and independence from God.

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

His view from the womb: the redemption and salvation of a people whom He loves. His purpose: our new life made holy in Him, to know Him through the gift of eternal life.

“‘Here I am. I have come to do Your will.’ And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Hebrews 10:9, 10

"Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." John 17:3

As we celebrate our Savior’s birth this Christmas season, may we  remember the sacred “Womb With A View”. With humility, reverence and awe, may we completely yield and surrender our hearts and life to His view for our lives. Just as Christ was our servant, may we serve Him with surrendered hearts in obedience.


Our Savior, thank You that we were and are in Your view since the beginning. Thank you for Your obedience in coming to earth as a Babe and then redeeming us by Your death on the cross and Your resurrection. By Your grace and strength, may our lives be marked by humility and obedience, just like You. This is not a prayer we pray lightly, but one we pray with great reverence and trust. We are humbled that You came to save and serve us. Fill us so that we may be surrendered servants for You. Thank you that You had a womb with a view.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.  

Blessed, Merry Christmas

from our family to yours!

"In that day, the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath...He will be a spirit of justice...a source of strength..."  (Isaiah 28:5-6)


You Are A Promise

Pull up a chair to the table today as my friend Tammie shares from her heart and from Isaiah 43.

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine." ~ Isaiah 43:1

Bob and Tammie and their beautiful family

Here's Tammie ~

One of my favorite books to read to my children is "You Are Special" by Max Lucado. The story is about a small village of wooden puppets all made by Eli the wood carver. The little wooden people in the town put stars on their fellow man if they look good or had a special talent or just had a lot of stars stuck on them.  But if they had no apparent talent or didn’t look like everyone else, they would stick grey dots on each other. 

One little wooden boy was tired of all the dots he had stuck on him by others.  Then he saw a girl whose stars and dots wouldn’t stick to her. When he asked why, she told him to go visit Eli the wood carver, and he would explain it all to him. Eli represents God.

The Biblical truth of this beautiful story is that God loves you just the way you are.   He created you with all your imperfections, all your talents and abilities.  It simply doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It only matters that our hearts are humble before Him and that we want to honor and please the Lord.

All the things that frustrate us about ourselves and all the things we like about ourselves, we must surrender them to the Lord. We tend to look at the outward things, but the Lord looks at our heart. He doesn’t see the stars and dots that we place on ourselves or that others try to stick to us. He sees His Son's shed blood. The redemptive blood of Jesus is what He sees when He looks at us.

"For the Lord sees not as man sees:

man looks on the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks on the heart."

1 Samuel 16:7

Am I a good enough mother, wife, friend?

Do I look OK?  

Am I overweight? 

Am I smart enough? 

While it is good to search our hearts before the Lord because we want to honor Him with our whole life, we can't place our comparisons and dissatisfactions on the altar of our hearts and displace our Creator, the One who formed us.  

"Fear not, for I am with you...

everyone who is called by My name,

whom I created for My glory,

whom I formed and made."

Isaiah 43:5, 7

I am not an expert in this area. In fact, it is one of the issues with which I have struggled the most. Looking at others and wishing I had their gifts, talents and abilities. Wishing I was "better".

But the Lord is teaching me through His word that I am just who He wants me to be. He alone gives me my strengths and my weaknesses.  He transforms me. When I surrender them to Him, He establishes and blesses the things He wants to accomplish in my life. He uses my weakness and my strengths to glorify Himself. 

Me sitting here writing this and sharing my heart with you is one of those personal moments of glorifying the Lord. For years, this struggle of comparing myself to others gripped me. I allowed what others thought of me to define me rather than allowing God's truth and perfect love to confirm who I am in Christ.

I am not "just a hair stylist" or just this or just that. I am His child.  He has called me to share my faith, to give, to love, to be loved.  He wants me to trust in the living God and His plan, not what I see when I look in the mirror or how others define me.

He gently reminds me daily through His word that I need to surrender my will and follow His. 

Be encouraged!  Whatever His plans are for you, seek Him with all your heart. Ask Him to free you from the untruths that are holding you back. Just like the children’s song, “ I am a promise, I am a possibility. I am a promise with a capital “P”. I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be."

You are God's promise and He loves you. 

~ By Tammie Dowd

"But now, O Lord, You are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our Potter;

we are all the work of Your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

"...you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32

What Do You Bring To The Table?

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10

God has entrusted each of us with being stewards over our hearts, minds, bodies and our families. He has also entrusted us, at such a time as this, with serving Him in whatever ways He leads.  He has gifted us each differently to complement one another and to serve as an extension of Him.  From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.  ~ Luke 12:48  We have been given and entrusted with much.  Much more is being asked of us.

 

Personally, in one sense I feel like a fish out of water in some ways God has required me to obey Him and serve.  In another sense, I feel completely comfortable with whom God has made me, how He continues to grow me and who I know I am not.  We will each use the gifts He has given us and continues to develop in us for His glory as He blends them together beautifully around the table of service.  Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-27

Our greatest strength comes through humbly recognizing our own weaknesses and acknowledging Christ in them.  Christ’s power rests on us when we know it is made perfect in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9~  He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  

Our greatest strength: CHRIST’S POWER RESTING ON US!

Here are some Greek roots words from 2 Corinthians 12:9 from

www.blueletterbible.org.  Take a look!

• POWER:

1) strength, power, ability

a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth

b) power for performing miracles

c) moral power and excellence of soul

d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth

e) power and resources arising from numbers

f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

 

RESTS:

1) to fix a tent or habitation on

a) to take possession of and live in the houses

1) of the citizens

2) of the power of Christ descending upon one, working within him and giving him help 

So, Who and what do we bring to the table as we serve the Lord?  We bring Him and His power.  I love that His power rests on us.  Comforting.  Freeing.  Peaceful.  

With hearts poised in humility, He gives us His strength, His power, His ability, His influence, His resources for excellence of soul.  He shelters us, descends His power upon us, works with us and gives us help.  As we honor Him, He has unimaginable, exciting and fruitful things in store for His glory!!  So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  ~ 1 Corinthians 3:7

With the entrusted responsibilities He gives each of us, I believe it all comes down to humility and reverence.  Reverence for God, His Word and the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do.  Our greatest strength:  recognizing our weakness apart from Him and therefore His power resting on us.  You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing. ~ Psalm 16:2

Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.  Let’s serve Him together with excellence of soul, with His power resting on us and exalting above all things His name and His Word.

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, 

let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…” 
~ Hebrews 12:28

"...so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” 
~ 1 Corinthians 2:5

“Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.” 

~ Zephaniah 3:9

“I will bow down toward Your holy temple and will praise Your name for Your love and Your faithfulness, for You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.” 
~ Psalm 138:2

Just Carrying A Pitcher of Water

"And He said to them, 

'Behold, when you have entered the city, 

a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; 

follow him into the house which he enters."

Luke 22:10

Welcome to the His Table Tor Two!  I am humbled today to have a truly sweet girlfriend, Jennifer Roche, serve you some refreshing truths from His Word.  Jen is a continual vessel of encouragement, love and friendship to me.  Every single time we are together, even if just for a moment, she encourages me with sincerity and truth.  She is an angel in my life, and I am forever grateful that the Lord has blessed me with her friendship.  She is a treasured sister in Christ.  Have a seat. I know you will be blessed by Jen's amazing heart for Jesus.  (Jen is also a very talented jewelry designer.  And I have a special give-away for one of you!  Check out her beautiful work here at Etsy:  Bezalel Jewels!)

Here's Jen!

Luke 22 tells us of one of the most significant days in the life of Jesus.  He is preparing for a special dinner with His disciples.  It would be the last time they would be all together on this earth.  Jesus is teaching them a significant way to remember Him and His sacrifice He was preparing to give for them and for the world.

Jesus instructed the disciples to prepare for the Passover dinner, where He would then institute The Lord's Supper.  In preparation, He gave His disciples specific instructions on where to go and how to get ready for the dinner.  Verse 10 says, "when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters."

This man carrying a pitcher of water unassumingly stepped into one of the most historical events ever.  Though his name is never mentioned in scripture, he did an incredible service for the Lord and was used mightily for eternal purposes.  The man carrying a pitcher of water led the way for the Living Water to serve His disciples...and ultimately us.

This nameless man, carrying a water pot, was to lead the disciples to where they would eat Passover with the Lamb of God.  We don't give the man much thought, but you see in that day it was not the job of a man to be carrying the water pot.  If men carried water, it would be in an animal skin, NOT a pitcher of water. That is why this man carrying a pitcher of water was a unique sign for the disciples.

Carrying pitchers of water was a woman's chore.  The women would carry clay pots on their head or shoulders to the well and bring back the water for their households.  

Why was this man doing this job on that day?  What had happened in his life?  What was his story? Had he lost his wife?  Had he experienced a tragedy that left him brokenhearted?  Was his wife chronically ill? Had he made a mistake that left him alone? Was he wondering why life had turned out that way?  Had he lost everything?

There had to be a reason for this man to be there on that specific day at that exact time...doing a woman's chore.

We don't know the details of this man's life.  All we know is that the Lord used him as a sign that day and that it would be for a significant reason that he was carrying the water pitcher.

God took note of this man's life and circumstances.

God took note and used this man's weakness, vulnerability and willingness.

For in this man's circumstances, weaknesses, vulnerability and willingness were the exact things that made him useful to the Lord that day.

Maybe this man had felt unworthy to be used by the Lord.  Too crushed to be able to serve.  Maybe he had been praying to be used by the Lord.  Perhaps he stopped praying because it seemed impossible.

But God chose to use him through a mundane chore of life:  carrying a water pitcher. Right there! God meets this man right where he is...in the mundaneness of carrying water.  Such a typical chore.  It certainly didn't seem glorious at the time.  But water is necessary for life.  And this man was used in God's plan of salvation.  The Lord didn't have to use him.  The Lord could have used anyone.  But God chose this unnamed man to carry the water pitcher.  

There are many people the Lord used as His vessels along the way that are not mentioned in scripture.  This man is.  He is written about in God's Word and remembered all these years later.  

Remembered for carrying a water pitcher.

Were there painful struggles in his life that led up to this day where he was carrying a water pitcher?  Were they worth it?  I bet he sits on the other side of eternity and says "yes"! If his circumstances of life were difficult, they are insignificant to him now.  He was honored to be used by the Lord on a special night.  

This is the character of God!  He is still like that with us.  He still uses us in our state of brokenness.  He uses us because of our brokenness.  His gracious hand is involved in the whole process.  

May the Lord use us more in the seemingly mundane acts of life.  May we sense His hand in our trials.  May we be more useful to Him because of our mistakes, our tragedies, our broken hearts.  Let Him use them in your life, too.

Carry the water pitcher today. It may seem like a meaningless and mundane task that no one values or notices.  But be faithful to carry His water pitcher.  Perhaps others are following you where you are going.

Be the broken but willing vessel available to the Lord.

~ by Jennifer Roche

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellence of the power 

may be of God and not of us."

2 Corinthians 4:7

As a special gift to one of you, one of Jen's beautifully designed and handmade Woman of Virtue pendants will be given away!  Just leave a comment mentioning a mundane task you are doing today as unto the Lord.  Ask the Lord to use your faithfulness and obedience for His glory!  The winner of the pendant will be announced later this week!

Jen's jewelry:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/bezaleljewels

"I have chosen Bezalel...

and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, 

with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts -- 

to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 

to cut and set stones..."

Exodus 31:1-5

My Shepherd's Bag

"Then he took his staff in his hand;

and he chose for himself

five smooth stones from the brook,

and put them in a shepherd’s bag,

in a pouch which he had,

and his sling was in his hand.

And he drew near to the Philistine."

1 Samuel 17:40

1 Samuel 17

David's first beckoning to the battle field was foundational in his calling as warrior and king.  A shepherd at heart like his Father, David was encountering a human giant named Goliath.  His confidence was this:  "I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts...the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (vv. 45, 47)

His foe, Goliath, who was heralded a "champion" by those in his own camp, made an impressive appearance.  He was bigger than life and was decked out in bronze and battle finery. He was intimidating and defied the Israelites to send out their best warrior (v. 10).  For forty days, this giant provoked the Israelites, and not one was willing to meet the challenge. 

Enter David. 

Fresh off the sheep pasture, David didn't seem like much of an opponent for Goliath.  The youngest in his family, David prepared for and approached the challenge with simplicity and with child-like trust in God.

“Let no man’s heart fail because of him;

your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

1 Samuel 17:32

Not classifying himself as a champion or warrior, David contently lived and responded like a "servant".

Uncomfortable in the battle gear provided for him for the battle, David took them off the metal and bronze.  He preferred his shepherd's staff and his shepherd's bag.

His shepherd's bag.

David chose five smooth stones for himself and put them in his shepherd's bag.  And then David drew near to his enemy.  Courage while carrying the shepherd's bag.  This moves my heart.

My shepherd's bag.  When God presents me with a challenge or a battle, I want to put my smooth stones in my shepherd's bag.  Couched beautifully in His care, those precious stones will bring His victory. 

I want to bring honor to God by how I respond to and handle challenges and battles.  With my Shepherd's bag in my hand, and knowing the battle is really the Lord's, His purposes will be accomplished and His name will be magnified.  Doing everything in love for the tender care of His sheep, as I carry my stones in my own shepherd's bag, His peace will prevail.

The stone of God's Word, carried in my shepherd's bag.

The stone of worship, carried in my shepherd's bag.

The stone of prayer, carried in my shepherd's bag.

The stone of loving face-to-face conversation, carried in my shepherd's bag.

The stone of surrendering to His perfect plan, carried in my shepherd's bag.

As I draw near to a challenge in a response of obedience to God, I will cling tightly to my shepherd's bag filled with smooth stones for battle.  Confident that the battle is the Lord's, may He strengthen me as His servant and may He be honored.

My shepherd's bag...that's an accessory that will always be in style!