Gracious Father

November 9th, 2013 dsisler

Do you ever get in a rut? You know, do the same thing. Say the same thing. Recall the same things.

 

Last year, a dear friend noted the beginning of public prayers by those she was with the most. I happened to be one of those people. She noted that I always started my prayers with “Gracious Father.” It’s true. I do. And to be honest, it’s a habit. It’s the familiar words that flow from my lips.

 

prayerNow I don’t think they are the worst words to open my prayer time with God, but I believe that by offering this same greeting to God my Father each time, it does loose some of the meaning behind these kind words.

 

So I thought today I would point out some the graciousness of my heavenly Father and what it means in my life so that when I say these words, they aren’t just rote, rehearsed words.

 

Nehemiah mentioned God’s graciousness when recalling Israel’s rebellion. “They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.” (Nehemiah 9:17 – NIV)

 

I, like Israel, have rebelled against God. But because of His graciousness, He has never deserted me. He’s continued to draw me back to Himself. What a wonderful reason to call Him gracious!

 

And yet another from the Old Testament. Isaiah speaks of God’s longing to be gracious toward mankind. “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (Isaiah 30:18 – NIV) What wonderful words to cling to.

 

In the New Testament, we find many examples of why we should call God gracious. Take a look at these passages.

 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 – NIV)

 

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24 – NIV)

 

“By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10 – NIV)

 

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15 – NIV)

 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 – NIV)

 

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8 – NIV)

 

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 – NIV)

 

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (James 4:6 – NIV)

 

There are many more references to God’s grace and graciousness in His Word, but these are enough to remind me that my words cannot simply be words. I must continually be reminded that I am blessed because of His graciousness. I must praise God for all He’s done in my life and I must call out to my Gracious Father with words of sincerity.

 

Today I thank God for all the gifts He has lavished upon me. I pray that you will be blessed by His graciousness as well.

 

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:25 – NIV)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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The Voice

November 8th, 2013 dsisler

I am going to admit something. I’m lonely. I’ve moved from one church to another and I feel as if my “old” friends have moved along and my “new” friends have plenty of things to do besides talk to me all day long (I have plenty to do as well). There just doesn’t seem to be time in a day to nurture the relationships that need nurturing.

 

DSC00470mI’ve mentioned before that my husband is not a talker. So conversation with him is limited. The other person in our household has worked every evening this week. There’s just no one to talk to!

 

But then I read passages of Scripture that point me to the One who is looking for a conversation. He desires that verbal interaction. God wants to talk to me!

 

I love verses of Scripture that describe God’s voice or tell us how we are to respond to His voice. Take a look at Psalm 29:4-5 (NIV). “The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

 

Another passage that speaks of God’s voice is in Revelation 1:15 (NIV). As John envisions this great scene, he recounts the voice of God. “…his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”

 

Again, the power that can be found in God’s voice is amazing and with the recent floods in Colorado, I have come to understand this phrase first hand. It is endless. It is continually moving. It picks up items as it moves. It breaks through the barriers.

 

God’s voice is the same. His voice is more powerful than anything we could ever experience here on this earth. If you don’t believe me, read the creation account in Genesis 1. What a great and majestic voice our heavenly Father has!

 

Yes, God’s voice is majestic and powerful, but it is calming. Jesus used the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep (John 10). The sheep know their shepherds voice. In the same way, we are to know God’s voice. When we hear Him calling us, we are to listen and take note of what He is saying.

 

In this passage Jesus says that He knows His sheep. He calls them by name and we recognize His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 – NIV) As we get to know Jesus on a personal level, we begin to know His voice and we follow Him.

 

So today I may be feeling a little lonely, but I know that my heavenly Father is anxiously awaiting our next conversation. And I certainly don’t want to disappoint Him!

 

Perhaps you know exactly how I feel. If so, you too can have the same conversation with God as I do. There’s no secret code, no friendship ritual you have to pass to get in to talk to Him. And He’s not hiding behind a big curtain.

 

His gentle voice is calling you to sit and chat. I pray you’ll accept His invitation.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Paper and Colored Pencils

November 7th, 2013 dsisler

I love to try new things. Crafts. Foods. Experiences. It doesn’t matter what it is, if it catches my attention, I want to do it or make it. I think that’s why I love Pinterest so much.

 

I also love to try new things when it comes to Bible study or prayer time. Recently, I heard of a book called “Praying in Color” by Sybil MacBeth. While I haven’t read the book, I’ve read about it and how others have used this concept in prayer time.

 

I threw this concept on the poor ladies in my Wednesday night Bible study group last night. I brought a little sheet with four objects and words attached. I gave them colored pencils and we spent seven minutes in quiet prayer time. To be honest, the time flew by.

 

The idea is to “doodle” as you pray. It helps to keep our minds focused on what we’re praying about. Some people use a different color for specific people and so when the color is seen throughout the day you’re reminded to pray for that person. Some use this concept to praise God through the colors He created. Some just doodle because it helps them stay connected to God during prayer time.

 

One of my favorite examples of this type of praying was an Advent calendar. Each day a passage of Scripture is given and the doodling begins when prayers are lifted. What an exciting way to anticipate the giving of our beloved Savior!

 

I’m certain that not every woman in the room felt drawn to this type of prayer time, but some were. And if they spend just a little more time with God through this method of prayer, then it was worth the share.

 

Sometimes we do get into a rut and do the same things over and over. Our prayer time isn’t as exciting as it should be. Our Bible reading isn’t filled with the joy it should have. So, yes, I believe there are times in our lives that we must shake it up. Try something new. Experience God’s majesty in a different way.

 

Doodle PageSo today, I offer you the same sheet I gave to the ladies last night. In the first object, you’ll notice arrows reaching up and out with the words “know Jesus and love like Him.” In this object, draw or write words that lead you to a closer relationship with Jesus and also to those around us. Building relationships is the focus of this object.

 

The second object is a thought cloud. What are God’s thoughts that He would like you to know? What have you studied this week from God’s Word that needs to be meditated upon?

 

The third object is a sunburst. The Bible study I am currently leading is “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion” by Debbie Miller. In this book she offers a characteristic or title of God and how we can pray using these words based on the letters of the alphabet. Each chapter begins with, “Lord, You are…” So around this starburst, we used words like Almighty, Beloved Son, Comforter, Door, Eternal, Faithful, Guardian of my Soul, Holy and Immanuel. Any words you feel appropriate will also fit in those starbursts.

 

And finally the fourth object was a scroll with the words, “What I need to learn this week…” Obviously, God doesn’t want us to just study His Word. He wants it to transform us. So this is the application portion of the prayer experience. What do I need to do this week to become more like Jesus?

 

There is no Scriptural basis for this type of prayer. It was just a fun exercise that leads us to a greater, deeper desire to be with God. That’s really what it’s all about.

 

Perhaps you feel that your prayer time is a little stale. If so, maybe this is a way to brighten it up. Freshen it up a bit. Draw you closer to God. I pray that it will.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Just Like Jesus

November 6th, 2013 dsisler

As the executive assistant to the lead pastor at a mega church, my role is allowing me to do a great deal of the things I love to do. I’m an organizer, so I enjoy the little details of each day. I’ve been able to arrange meetings, appointments and phone calls. I’ve been able to make travel arrangements. I’ve been able to help with organizing staff events as well.

 

0626091024Our first staff gathering since I have been on staff was in September and I made sure everyone knew what to bring, where to go and when to arrive. At the end of the night, one of the student pastors said, “Hey Donna, you’re just like Jesus! You throw a great party at someone else’s home.”

 

I laughed of course, but deep inside, I was thrilled that someone thought I was just like Jesus!

 

In Philippians 2, Paul tells us that Jesus was a servant. “…taking the very nature of a servant…” (Philippians 2:6-7 – NIV). Just before this passage however, Paul tells us that our “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 – NIV)

 

So if we are to take on the attitude of Jesus as a servant, we must look at what He did as a servant to learn how to serve.

 

Jesus Had a Servant Heart

In one of Jesus’ teaching moments, He shared an important message with the disciples and mothers of two of the disciples. His message was that if you want to be great, you must be a servant. Jesus then tells them why He came to earth. “Whoever wants to be first must be your slave—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 20:27-28 – NIV)

 

So we must be willing to become a slave. A servant. And always be searching for ways to serve another. It was how Jesus lived His life.

 

Jesus Healed the Sick

Jesus healed the sick. Both physically and spiritually. Through physical healing, Jesus opened the door to spiritual healing in many instances. But in each case, He never took the credit. God was always given the glory for the healing. A servant attitude overflows with humility.

 

While God is the only One who can heal, we can lead others to spiritual healing. We can serve others as we share the Gospel, teach its message, and proclaim God’s salvation to the world.

 

Jesus was Hospitable

Yes, when Jesus shared the last meal with His disciples, He was hospitable. He was a gracious Host. “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples…” (Matthew 26:26 – NIV) Jesus served at least a portion of this meal.

 

Hospitality goes beyond serving meals. It is making others feel comfortable around us. Jesus’ example of hospitality leads me to believe that we are to be hospitable in our attitude.

 

Jesus Did Whatever was Necessary

In John 13, we see the example of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. This simple act of service caused great turmoil. But it was yet another teaching moment. When He was finished, Jesus asked the disciples, “Do you understand what I have done for you?” (John 13:12b – NIV)

 

I’m sure they were confused, but He then explained the importance of serving others. “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:16-17 – NIV)

 

As believers, we know these things. Now we must do them. So what are we to do? Anything that puts others before ourselves. It may be washing feet. But it also may be raking leaves for an elderly person or mentoring an at-risk child or visiting a nursing home.

 

In the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 26:31-46), as the King gathers all the nations, He blesses those who fed Him when He was hungry. Who offered a drink when He was thirsty. Who invited Him in as a stranger. Who clothed Him when He was naked. Who cared for Him when He was sick. Who visited Him in prison.

 

The righteous were confused. They had never done any of these things for the King.

 

He then offers these words. “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 26:40 – NIV)

 

I believe the message here is clear. We are called to serve others. In whatever way we possibly can.

 

Jesus Loved

Jesus also loved with a servant heart. He was compassionate (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 15:32; Luke 7:13). He was sorrowful (Matthew 26:37-38). He grieved (Luke 19:41; John 11:35). He knew how to love.

 

Oh to have Jesus’ compassion, sorrow and grief for a hurt and dying world. That is how we are to love others. By living life with them. By showing them that we care. By sharing God’s love with them.

 

These are my observations on serving. Perhaps there are more. I’m sure there are. But as we look into Jesus’ heart, we can see nothing but that of a servant. And that is the exact attitude we are to take upon ourselves.

 

How will you serve others today? Over the next week? Over the next month? I pray that you have something already set up. If not, why not connect with your local church and see what they have going on and find a place in the serving crowd. There’s always room for one more.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Two Quotes

November 5th, 2013 dsisler

In one of the four books I’m currently reading, I found these two quotes that I like. The author calls them, God’s grammar rules. I call them good.

 

Quote #1: “Never put a period where God puts a comma.”[i]

 

DSC02411mIn the account of Lazarus’ death (John 11:1-44), Jesus waited before going to Bethany. He had heard Lazarus was ill. He had heard the cries of Mary and Martha. He knew all it would take were a few words or even a thought and Lazarus would be healed.

 

But Jesus waited.

 

Mary and Martha thought the period had been placed at the end of Lazarus’ life. But Jesus had a different plan. A plan that would allow Mary and Martha’s faith to reach enormous heights. A plan that would bring healing to a man who was indeed dead. A plan that would point others to God.

 

That’s exactly what God has in mind for us. When we believe we can’t go one step further and that God has placed the period at the end of our request, He might just surprise us with an amazing twist.

 

Our faith will be put to the test and in the end, our faith will soar. And ultimately, each situation must point others to God. God must be glorified.

 

The important thing to keep in mind is that God’s timing is not our timing. Be patient. Allow God to do His work in you. In His time, He will make it all beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

 

Quote #2: “Don’t put a comma where God puts a period.”

 

God has a plan. His plan includes following the guidelines He has given us in Scripture. I find myself being drawn to the things of this world that God has told me to leave be. And that’s when I should be smart enough to recognize God’s periods.

 

But like the Apostle Paul, I find myself doing what I shouldn’t do. Recall with me Paul’s words. “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Romans 7:14-15 – NIV)

 

God has placed a period at the end of His guidelines. But we tend to want to push it just a bit further. We want just a little more. And pretty soon, we have added a comma where God’s period once stood.

 

The difference between right and wrong, black and white, good and evil eventually will be blurred and gray. We miss the absolute in God’s precepts. We succumb to the temptation and fall into sin.

 

Thankfully God’s grace will forgive us for our punctuation mistakes. But we need to be more diligent in remembering His rules and guidelines and then following them to letter…or period.

 

As we go through our day, let’s look for the periods and commas God is revealing to us. And let’s also learn to recognize the difference between the two. It’s not enough to learn the rules, we must live them. We must apply them. And in the end, all glory must go to God.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver, (Colorado Springs, Waterbrook Press, 2002), pg. 126-127.

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  • "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 Jacksonville, Florida.

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