First Things First

January 31st, 2015 dsisler

 

The sun is about to come up. It’s a new day. What happened yesterday is the past. Today I have new and fresh opportunities. Today looks pretty promising. So what shall I do with today?

 

DSC_0493Elizabeth George says this, “With the gift of a whole, entire, precious, and priceless day before you, ask: ‘Lord how do You want me to live this day? What is it that You want me to do with this one day that You have given me? What is the work You want me to accomplish today?’”[i]

 

Don’t you want to know what could happen if you gave your day to God in this way? Wouldn’t it be remarkable to see what He will bring into your life? Wouldn’t it cool to look at your accomplished work at the end of the day and say, “Way to go God!”? I think so.

 

However, I know that I don’t always give my days to Jesus. I know that I sometimes tend to focus on what I need to focus on instead of allowing God to lead me on the path. I know I fail at this.

 

But the good news is that I have a brand new day every 24 hours. I can be more intentional about giving God my day tomorrow if I mess it up today. I can put tomorrow behind and look toward the bright outlook of today. And that’s what I intend to do.

 

C. S. Lewis once wrote, “Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: Put second things first and we lose both first and second things.” Isn’t that the truth?

 

Jesus had this to say about our day. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 – NIV)

 

So today, I intend to seek God’s kingdom first. That will be the first thing. Then the second things (those things spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 6:25-32) will come.

 

Just because I work at a church, I am the assistant to the lead pastor of that church, and I am a leader of two women’s Bible studies doesn’t mean that I am focused on God’s kingdom first and foremost every day. The evil one tries hard to body slam me off that path. But it doesn’t mean that I have to give up.

 

So today, I will keep my eyes on the goal (Philippians 3:13-14). I will cling to the One who is able to keep me from falling (Psalm 63:8 and Jude 1:24-25). And I will seek God with all my heart (Jeremiah 29:12-13).

 

What are your plans for the day?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] God’s Wisdom for a Woman’s Life, Elizabeth George, Harvest House Publishers, 2003, page 30.

Share

A Very Special Day

January 30th, 2015 dsisler

 

If you have been a reader of my blog since the beginning of Full Measure of Joy, you know that today is a special day. If you haven’t been with me long, let me tell you why today is so special.

 

JoFirst of all, today is my husband’s birthday! I’m so happy to be celebrating another year with Mason. He’s been such an inspiration and encouragement to me. He deserves this special day to celebrate who and what he is. Happy, happy birthday Mason!

 

Secondly, today marks the three year anniversary of Full Measure of Joy. Three years ago I began the journey of putting my thoughts to paper (or computer screen). Three years ago I was captured by the blogging bug. Three years ago, I devoted my writing to God and it’s been pretty remarkable.

 

I’ve learned so much through these few years. How to blog. What to blog. When to blog. And why to blog. Now when I say blog, I really mean write. Because even if I didn’t have a blog to throw all of my thoughts toward, I would still be writing. It’s become part of who I am.

 

I’ve also learned a few things about myself. I’ve learned that discipline is very important when it comes to blogging. I wake up every morning at 5:30 to do Bible study and quiet time with God. Then I sit at my computer and write until my blog is posted.

 

I’ve learned that my mind is active all the time. I’m always on the lookout for an idea to write about. I’ve learned that my memory is nearly as good as it was when I was in college. That’s exciting! And I’ve learned that God will show up and present His glory in every little part of my life.

 

But what I’ve learned most is that without God’s Spirit leading me, without the love of Jesus encouraging me and without the grace of God to inspire me, Full Measure of Joy would have fallen face first into the vast expanse of the World Wide Web. Without my Lord and Savior, none of this would have been possible.

 

My goals were simple when I started three years ago. Write and post every day and to show others how God shows up in my life each day. Yes, they seemed so simple, but as it turns out, these two little goals have transformed my thinking and opened my spiritual eyes to God’s amazing work in my life. Simple? Maybe not.

 

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) has been an important verse for me since I started blogging. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” I committed FMoJ to God from the very beginning.

 

Yes, I believe Full Measure of Joy is a success, but what I believe more is that God’s plan through me has far exceeded success. I have grown. I have learned. I have wrestled. I have been humbled. I have cried. I have laughed. I have repented. All because of the transforming work of God’s Spirit within me.

 

Maybe all of this would have happened without Full Measure of Joy. Maybe I’m in a place in my life where I would have been open to this work of God’s Spirit. I don’t know.

 

What I do know is that I have been able to share my stories, my memories, my struggles, my joys, my life, my Jesus with you, my reader. You have made a difference in my life. You have made the journey sweeter. You bring great joy to my life. Thank you!

 

So happy birthday Mason and happy birthday Full Measure of Joy. I love you both!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

Share

Blessed Assurance

January 29th, 2015 dsisler

As you probably know, I am leading a Bible study on Gideon. We are only on lesson 2, but it is pretty obvious that God saw potential that Gideon had somehow overlooked.

 

Daytona Beach 021mWhen the angel of the Lord first appeared to Gideon, he was referred to as “mighty warrior.” If you know anything about Gideon, you know he hadn’t shown any signs of being a mighty warrior in his lifetime. He was threshing wheat in a wine press, he was hiding in the hill country and he and Israel were being oppressed by the Midianites. All of Israel had chosen to hide out instead of fight for what rightfully belonged to them.

 

In the midst of this conversation between the angel of the Lord and Gideon, these words were spoken by the angel. “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” (Judges 6:23) Now Gideon had put up a brave front until he realized who he was speaking with. Once he knew the Lord himself was in his presence, Gideon became fearful. But the angel reassured Gideon.

 

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations when we are afraid. Fear can cripple. Fear can disable. Fear can stop us in our tracks. But let me share a few passages of Scripture to show you what we should not fear.

 

In Deuteronomy 20, God tells Israel that they should not fear going into battle. “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deuteronomy 20:3-4 – NIV)

 

You may not be going into battle as Israel did, but we all face our own battles. We learn from these verses that God is with us, before us, leading us to victory. There is no need to be fainthearted.

 

Here’s a good passage from Proverbs. “Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” (Proverbs 3:25-26 – NIV) The two assurances we have from this passage is that we have confidence in God and that He will keep our feet on a sure path. With these two promises we can boldly face our own “sudden disasters” without fear.

 

Jeremiah was fearful of sharing God’s message with Israel, but God reminded him, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:8 – NIV) As we share God’s message, there is no reason to be fearful. God is with us and through His Holy Spirit is able to help us as we share the message.

 

And one last thing I’ll share is that we shouldn’t fear what unbelievers fear. “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and resect.” (1 Peter 3:14-15 – NIV)

 

Maybe today you are facing some fearful situation. If so, I pray that you will first of all see the potential God sees within you. Call upon the “mighty warrior” within yourself to face these battles. Then ask that God will be with you through the fear. Let His Holy Spirit lead you through the fright. Let Jesus be the peace within your heart. And find your confidence in the Lord God Almighty.

 

There are battles to face, but there is no reason to be afraid. “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

Share

Good

January 28th, 2015 dsisler

 

Thought I’d share a picture of our sunrise this morning. I usually don’t look toward the east when the sun is coming up. Remember my office faces west and the mountains, but this morning I just happened to glance out the east-facing window in my kitchen to see this beauty of a sunrise. I pray you will be as encouraged as I am by God’s masterpiece.

 

sunrise 1-28-15

 

I read this little poem written by John Wesley. He shared it with his congregation often so they would come to a better understanding of how they should live.

 

“Do all the good you can,

To all the people you can,

At all times you can,

In all the ways you can,

By all the means you can,

As long as ever you can.”

 

Good. God’s Word calls us to do good deed. We find that “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 – NIV) This is one of the reasons we were created…and God has some wonderful things in store for those who do good works.

 

People. Not just any people, all people. Including those we aren’t drawn to or who are our enemies. Consider these two verses. “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:39 – NIV) “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44 – NIV)

 

Times. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) reminds us that “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” I think this sums it up. Anytime. All the time. Do good.

 

Ways. We can do good in any situation. Maybe we just need to look for the way. Galatians 6:10 (NIV) reminds us, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Let’s keep our spiritual eyes open and look for opportunities!

 

Means. Our pastor is leading us through the Book of Acts and showing how the early Church lived together in harmony. Take a look at this passage. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.” (Acts 2:44-45 – NIV) Maybe we don’t need to go to this extreme (or maybe we do), but if we have the means to do good, we should be doing good.

 

Long. And finally, as long as we are able, we are to do good. Galatians 6:9 (NIV) says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Keep it up. Never stop. Don’t give up.

 

What good do you need to do today? If we all did our part, just think of all the good there would be in our world. I can’t wait to see what opportunities God lays in my path today. What about you?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

Share

Glory

January 27th, 2015 dsisler

 

Isn’t it exciting to know that someone is praying for you? Whether it is in your presence or in your absence, there is such comfort and joy knowing that someone, somewhere has taken the time to lift your name to God on your behalf. I have been thankful through the years for those who have prayed for me.

 

CCHow much more to know that Jesus prayed for me (and you) on that last night He spent with His disciples. John 17 records a prayer of our Lord. In this chapter we see His concern for the disciples who were in His presence, but also His concern for the believers who were yet to come…to those who would believe because of the message of Jesus.

 

There is a little line in this prayer that catches my attention whenever I read this passage. “Glory has come to me through them.” (John 17:10b – NIV) I don’t know about you, but I believe there have been times in my life when I haven’t glorified Jesus. I have failed in this, but the possibility of glorifying Jesus is encouraging to me.

 

So how can we bring glory to Jesus?

 

Romans 15:5-6 (NIV) says, “May the God gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Through unity, we bring glory to Jesus. This is not as easy as it sounds, but we see in this passage that we have been given the Spirit to help us be unified. It has suddenly become much easier to do.

 

Romans 15:8-9 tells us that we are to glorify God for His mercy. As we learn God’s truth and live our lives according to His truth, we are able to bring glory to Jesus as well.

 

We also find that we are to glorify Jesus with our own bodies. “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 – NIV)

 

In 2 Corinthians 9:12-13 we find that as we share with others, as we obey God and as we share the gospel with others, we glorify Jesus.

 

We also see that through our good deeds we glorify Jesus. “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12 – NIV)

 

And finally, we glorify Jesus through suffering. “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (1 Peter 4:16 – NIV)

 

There may be more ways to glorify Jesus in Scripture, but these are enough for the day. Glorifying Jesus is just one way others will know that you are a follower of Christ. I pray that today you are able to lift the Name of Jesus up in every area of your life.

 

It’s what Jesus prayed for.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

Share
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

  • Subscribe by Email

  • About Me

    "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

  • Bible Studies & Other Happenings

    Bible studies I’m currently leading:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

  • Categories

  • Recent Posts

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On Linkedin