Real Life - A Weekly Blog Devotional

From God’s Word:

Click and Read Joshua 24:14-27

Key Verse:

“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” Joshua 24:23 (NIV)

“Jesus, what in my life do I love more than You?”

I attended a conference this summer where author Lysa TerKeurst was the opening speaker. She told the story about asking Jesus that question and the impact His answer had on her life. He extended to her an invitation for what she titled a “personal revival” He pointed out a sugar addiction that took a lot of sacrifice and self-discipline to give up. She didn’t do it out of a heart of legalism, but out of love for Jesus, not wanting anything to have higher priority than Him.

Listening to her story, I initially responded with Love, more than Jesus? Why nothing, of course. He’s number One.

To which a still, small, whispering voice asked me, Am I, Becky?

Of course you are, Lord!

What about your Internet? If I asked would you turn off your Internet?

Oh, no, Lord, I couldn’t do that. I use my Internet to serve You. The time I spend on their is for good and useful things. I need it for writing my books, connecting with family and friends, and building my ministry platform. It’s not an idol. I don’t love it more than you.

Deep inside, I knew it wasn’t true. My laptop sits on my breakfast bar in the kitchen. It is accessible to me all day long. I catch every email, every blog comment, every Facebook status, and make sure the world knows what I’m doing with a play-by-play on Twitter.

Whenever my kids interrupted me this summer, I was so frustrated! I don’t know how many times I said, “You need to play upstairs or outside and quit interrupting me. I’m doing important work on my computer right now.” I was aware that my home was messier than I like it, that my kids were often talking to me through a computer screen, and that my time with the Lord was often used up by Internet activities.

I was right. I do good things on the Internet. But I was also wrong. It had become an idol in my life. I loved the endless wealth of information, the connection with like minded people, and the fun of creating blog posts on my personal blog. It was stealing my time, my focus, and distracting my heart. Earlier this week, I finally faced the truth and I felt so busted. I cried and continued to justify and defend my actions, but I finally had to confess the truth and repent of what that cyber connection had become in my life.

I carried the laptop upstairs, shut it down, and made a new guideline for myself. Computer time is reserved to times when my family doesn’t need me. My children will no longer speak to me through a laptop screen and Jesus will resume His proper position of supremacy in my life.

Last week I wrote about how God usually goes for a heart condition problem instead of a behavior problem. In this case, He did highlight a behavior, but it was because it was a symptom of a heart issue. I’m not saying Internet is bad. It was me loving it more than Jesus that was bad.

Personal Application:

You may not be able to relate to Lysa’s problem with sugar, or my problem with spending too much time in cyberspace, but I have a hunch there may be something else you could say has become an idol in your own life.

Join us in asking this question: Jesus, what in my life do I love more than you?
When He reveals the answer, ask Him for the strength to put Him number one again. Life works when He is on the throne. Messes occur when we run after worthless idols.

Do not become so focused on the behavior, that you glorify yourself as you remove it from your life. Remember, this is about getting your heart to the place where He is number one. It is not about you at all.

Dear Lord, Please reveal to me anything that has become an idol in my life. Give me the character to acknowledge it and the strength to remove it so you are first in my heart. Only You are worthy of that position. I am weak and need Your help. Make my heart and my priorities right before You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen

More of God’s Word:

1. “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)

2. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ -Mark 12:30 (NIV)

Love a less connected
: )

From God’s Word:

Click and Read Psalm 86

Key Verse:
O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,
so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. - Psalm 86:5 (NLT)

This is the season for playing in the water. When the temperatures soar, there is nothing better than getting wet.

One of my favorite summer pastimes is floating on an air mattress or inner tube in a lake or the ocean. I close my eyes, listen to the lapping water, and enjoy the peace as I float along. Ahhh, luxury!

That is until I open my eyes, sit up, and realize just how far from shore or the dock I’ve drifted. It’s amazing how little time it can take in the water to drift a long distance. Once you realize how far you’ve gone, it takes so much work and effort to get back to where you need to be. You have to jump in and swim back, or doggy paddle your way in slow motion. Why is it that it takes so much longer to get back then it did to drift out?

Life is like that. When you drift off course, you have to work so hard to get back to where you want to be. It’s true in finances, life goals, careers, and relationships.

Isn’t it wonderful that Jesus does not operate that way? When we drift spiritually and find ourselves far away from Him, all we have to do is repent and instantly we are at His side once again. He greets us with open arms and forgives us, continuing the walk right where we were.

He doesn’t ask us to perform penance or to work our way back to Him. He pulls us back to Him the minute we turn and say, “I’m done straying. Please forgive me.”

We may have to endure the consequences of the sinful choices we’ve made, but we will not have to earn our Savior’s love and acceptance. We won’t have to work our way back to His side. He will bring us back to where we need to be when we allow Him to do it.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from the old hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

Is that you? Are you prone to wander? Or have you drifted spiritually?

Just call His name, and let Him bring you back across the distance. Don’t waste your time dog paddling back. Repent and get back to walking by His side.
Isn’t He wonderful? Thank Him for His forgiveness and love.

Dear Lord, Thank you for your grace. I pray I will not take that grace for granted or treat it lightly. It is an amazing gift. Thank you that when I stray, you are so kind to bring me back. I love you! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen

More of God’s Word:

1. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1 (Amplified)

2. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. - Psalm 51:17 (NLT)

Recently, I attended the wedding of Scout the Dog and Jessica Bear.

Boy the Bear officiated the ceremony.

Guests like Sarah the Doll enjoyed dancing, cake, and watching the happy couple open their gifts.

My daughters planned this event in their bedroom and pulled off a pretty decent wedding. They even remembered the most important detail: Scout and Jessie each said, “I Do.”

Watching my girls set up the wedding for their stuffed animals and seeing their imagination hard at work, I was struck by the fact that they instinctively knew that Scout and Jessie were not actually married until those words were uttered.

It reminded me of an analogy I read in a book called The Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee.

An engaged couple may intellectually know they want to marry each other, and they probably feel very close to one another but until they willfully say, “I do” to each other, they’re not married. Many people are at this point in their relationship with Christ. They need to say “I do” to Him.

As I planned this week’s devotion, I felt there would be someone reading this who would be able to relate. You’ve shown up, you’re wearing the pretty dress, you’ve gone through the motions of the ceremony, but when it comes to saying the vows, when it comes to letting go of control of your own life, you’ve never said “I do” to Jesus.

More of God’s Word:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
-Revelation 22:17

From God’s Word:
Click and Read Matthew 14:22-33

Key Verse:
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” - Matthew 14:30 (NIV)

I made a startling discovery this week.

There are some awesome people out there doing some amazing things for the Lord, and I DON’T MEASURE UP!

When the kids are tucked in for the night, I love to put my feet up, grab my laptop, and surf my favorite blogs. There are some that I follow on a regular basis and look forward to seeing what has been going on in the lives of my blogging buddies. This week, it became clear to me that my blogging buddies are stellar people. I came across stories of people feeding the hungry, traveling to Africa to serve orphans and other ministries, families adopting here and abroad, people reaching out and ministering to hurting people. Others who are missionaries far from home.

A great wave of discouragement rolled over me. Inventory of my life showed much lacking: Inconsistent prayer life, no time in the Word, nothing done to meet the spiritual or physical needs of hurting people. In my own estimation, I’ve been boring, blah, and of little value to the Kingdom of God.

As I pushed my stroller along the greenbelt on Thursday afternoon, I prayed about the situation. And I got a strange answer.

The Holy Spirit said to my heart, “Turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the glory of Jesus.”

I remembered Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus. As long as his eyes were locked on the Lord, he was doing the miraculous, but as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord, looked at the waves and thought about his own inability to do what he was doing, he sank.

When my eyes and focus are locked on Jesus, I will reflect His glory to this hurting world. When I’m stuck focusing on myself and my sin and failures, I get nowhere other than discouraged. My eyes this week have been on the wrong person.

Awhile ago, I read about a mom who was seriously struggling to love her adopted teenage daughter. She confided in a missionary friend how difficult this girl was to love. The missionary told her, “Quit working so hard to love her. Instead focus on loving God. That is where you will find the ability to love her.”

God’s purpose in my life is to make me more and more like Jesus. Focusing on my sin and failures won’t make me more like Jesus. Focusing on Jesus will make me more like Jesus.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from Andrew Murray’s book Humility:

Being occupied with self, even having the deepest self-abhorrence can never free us from self. Not to be fully occupied with your sin but to be fully occupied with God brings deliverance from self. This gives us the answer to the question so often asked and seldom clearly understood: How can I die to self? Death to self is not your work: it is God’s work.

Commit today to turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the Lord Jesus, desiring to know Him more, so you can reflect Him more. That is when you will make a significant impact on this hurting world.

Father,

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen

More of God’s Word:

1. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

2. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV)

Turning my eyes to Jesus,

From the Word

Click and Read Hebrews 10

Key Verse:

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
-Hebrews 10:14 (NLT)

“I have to walk on my tiptoes,” my daughter told me when I met her at the school bus stop. “I’m going to Princess School and this is how a princess is supposed to walk.”

As we walked home, she explained that her new library book was called Princess School and she was officially training in all things princess. She’s been very committed to this plan all week, insisting on wearing dresses and paying lots of attention to manners because “princesses are very polite.”

As I’ve watched her practicing her princess skills, it reminded me that I too am a princess. Because of my faith in Jesus, I have become a child of God, the Daughter of the King of Kings, and the bride of Christ. Royalty.

How very un-royal I feel at times! It is easy for me to slip into condemnation mode and to wonder if I’m ever going to get things right. But the truth is, whether or not I pass Princess School or get an A+ in Royal Manners, I have already been made a princess. That can not be taken away from me.

The struggles I have to overcome sin in my life do not and can not take away from who I already am in Jesus. I had a counselor help me understand this with this analogy. He said:

When a prince or princess is born, they are immediately a part of the royal family. They already are a prince or princess. Then they spend the rest of their lives learning how to be royal.

That’s how the sanctification process works for us. When we turn our lives over to Jesus in faith, at that moment we are positionally perfect. God sees us through the lens of justification. We are already made perfect, even as we are being made perfect or holy.

Throughout my lifetime, God will be making me into the image of his son. I will be learning how to be royal, but I can rest in the knowledge that that work is already completed. I am his. He promises to finish the work he began in me, so condemnation and discouragement has no place in my life. I need to lift my head up in confidence and start walking like the princess I am.

Personal Application:

Do you ever doubt your salvation? Do you find it difficult to believe that you are forgiven and free? Replace the lies with truth by confessing your false beliefs and replacing them with scripture that tells the truth.

This royal position does come with responsibility. There are warnings throughout the Bible to not treat this amazing grace cheaply. It is our responsibility as a princess to bring honor to our King. We should strive for holiness. We should try to win people to Him by our goodness and by our example that Biblical principles really do work. The difference is in our hearts. We are motivated by love and gratitude, not because we think we can earn our salvation or because we are afraid of His wrath.

After you are aware of this amazing gift, how terrible it would be to throw it all away. The end of Hebrews 10 can be scary and appear to contradict what the beginning of the chapter says. It does not! I think Matthew Henry did a great job of explaining it in his Concise Commentary, so I’ll let him explain:

The exhortations against apostasy and to perseverance, are urged by many strong reasons. The sin here mentioned is a total and final falling away, when men, with a full and fixed will and resolution, despise and reject Christ, the only Saviour; despise and resist the Spirit, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life. Of this destruction God gives some notorious sinners, while on earth, a fearful foreboding in their consciences, with despair of being able to endure or to escape it. But what punishment can be sorer than to die without mercy? We answer, to die by mercy, by the mercy and grace which they have despised. How dreadful is the case, when not only the justice of God, but his abused grace and mercy call for vengeance! All this does not in the least mean that any souls who sorrow for sin will be shut out from mercy, or that any will be refused the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice, who are willing to accept these blessings. Him that cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out.

This is a final throwing away of God’s grace. We know from Jesus’ story of the prodigal son that there is always hope that someone like this will come home and a grand reception of forgiveness and love will be waiting when they do.

Dear Father,

I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of this truth. From the time I was a little girl, I dreamt of being a princess. You have made me a princess. You forgave my sins, made me right before you, and are now molding me, shaping me, and training me for this royal position. Thank you for redeeming me and for forgiving me. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you. Thank you that I get to enjoy the benefits of your Kingdom even now. How good you are! How amazing your grace and love!

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen

More of God’s Word:

1. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

2. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

3. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. -John 1:12 (NIV)

Love,

Princess

From the Word:
Click and Read Psalm 127

Key Verse:

The girls kept bickering, the baby whined incessantly from the moment he woke up, and my husband had to work, so getting all of us grumpy people dressed and out the door and to church on time was all my job. I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t do that job well. I nagged and yelled and acted like I was the kid.

On the way to church the Mommy guilt rolled in, and I apologized to my kids for the way I behaved.

My oldest daughter was so kind and said, “That’s OK, Mommy, you ALWAYS do that. We’re used to it.”

Ouch! That did not help the Mommy guilt one little bit. Usually, an incident like this would lead to great discouragement, but I’m learning to respond differently. This time I just stopped and prayed the prayer that is becoming all too familiar, “Lord, please cover where I fail.”

Cover where I fail- How thankful I am that I can pray that. When I can’t live up to the ideal mom that I long to be and worry that I’m failing and ruining my children, I can let go, look up, and say, “Help!” And my kids are somehow surviving being raised by me! Ha Ha.

1. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

3. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

4. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. -Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

Love a very imperfect,

From the Word:

Click and Read John 16:5-15

Key Verse:

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth
- John 16:13a

I’ve finally been able to make it back to a Women’s Bible Study, and it feels so good to be there. After my baby was born, it took a little bit of time to get our routine down enough for me to make it out of the house. It has been so good for me to be back in the Word and in fellowship with other women.

During the study a few weeks ago, we had a brief discussion about condemnation. It reminded me of my own personal struggle to understand the difference between condemnation and conviction.

When I was in the middle of grief over my miscarriages, I became acutely aware of my own failures and sin. Condemnation came in like a flood. At one point, I even believed I had identified a failure in my life that was responsible for all of the pain I was going through. I was convinced I was being punished. I was overcome with guilt over the issue and knew God must be so angry with me, too.

It took time in the Word and in prayer for me to be able to figure out the difference between spiritual attack and the heavy guilt and condemnation that can come with that, and the voice of conviction that often comes from the Holy Spirit when there is sin in our lives that needs addressing.

One of the easiest ways I found to discern the difference was to ask the question, “Where is this sending me?” Condemnation makes me flee from the Lord to hide my shame. Conviction draws me to God, puts me on my knees, and leads me to repentance and change. Condemnation brings feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, while conviction builds me up spiritually, shapes me and molds me into the woman God wants me to be, and makes me more effective for the Kingdom.

Personal Application:

If you are a believer in Jesus, and you are feeling condemnation, it is not from God. If past sins are haunting you, seek God for freedom. If you are enslaved to guilt and fear, you will not be effective for the Kingdom.

Condemnation and conviction differ in their source and in their purpose. Condemnation comes from the enemy but conviction comes from God. Conviction leads to repentance. Condemnation sends you running from God in shame. Conviction sends you running to God for change. We are commanded to live a holy life by God’s help, but we are not to live in a state of shame waiting for the axe to fall.

When we have strayed from God’s best for our lives and are living contrary to His ways, we open a door for Satan. We open a door for his temptation, accusation, and deceit. These things lead to further sin and estrangement from God. If you have unconfessed sin, confess it quickly. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Be done with it, stop doing it, and live free from it. After you have agreed with God that it is sin and turned from it in repentance, feel forgiven and move on. Stop expecting punishment and condemnation from the God who loves You and gave His life to prove it.

Father,

Thank You so much for the gift of grace You have given me. I am so grateful that there is no condemnation for me because I belong to Jesus. I desire to live a life that is holy and pleasing to You, by the power of your Holy Spirit, and for Your glory, not my own. When I need to be convicted of sin in my life, I pray I will recognize it and run to You, not from You. I pray the Enemy would fail in his attempts to use condemnation to render me ineffective for your Kingdom. Help me to know truth and to recognize lies. Mold me into the woman you want me to be. Thank you for your gentleness, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,

Amen

More of God’s Word

1. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down. -Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

2. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. -Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

From the Word:

Click and Read Galatians 5:16-26

Key Verses:
Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. - Galatians 5:26 (NLT)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15 (NKJV)

Jealousy reared its ugly head this week. I didn’t see it right away, but during my prayer time, I had to face the fact that it was there, repent, and battle against the ugly green monster.

Isn’t it strange that you can be jealous even of people you love? My jealousy issues were wide ranging, and involved many different people. There was jealousy over other people’s success, recognition, opportunities, ministries, possessions, bodies, clothes, houses, etc. Once I was aware it was there and started digging in my heart and relationships, there was a lot to confess.

Most of us are familiar with the second part of Romans 12:15 where we are told to weep with those who weep, but it is easy to skip over the command to rejoice with those who rejoice. Why would we need to be reminded to do that? The happy part is the easy part, isn’t it?

But is it really such an easy thing to do? Do you feel like rejoicing when:

- Your friend invites you over to see her new living room makeover?

- You want nothing more than to be married or to have a baby and you get THE CALL from a happy friend who wants to share her good news?

- You feel fat and frumpy but your friend loses weight and is now able to fit into a size 6?

- You watch someone else achieve their dreams when you wonder if you’ll ever even find the time to TRY to realize your own?

- Someone else gets special recognition or enjoys success?

- You meet a beautiful woman and know you could only imagine what it would feel like to look like that?

Happiness for another person’s good fortune does not come easily. It is against our nature. The natural man wants to be a god, wants to be significant, and adored. The natural man wants it all for himself. In our case, I should say “herself.” Jealousy, envy, selfish-ambition- those are all trademarks of our sinful natures.

Thankfully, we are no longer slaves to that nature! God gives us the ability to be different. We are new creations in Christ. Because I belong to Him, I have the ability to love instead of envy. I can fight my sinful nature because of the Holy Spirit within me. I can rejoice with those who rejoice because as a daughter of the King of Kings, I have nothing to envy!

Personal Application:
Spend some time looking for evidence of envy in your own heart. How has that affected your relationships? Your ability to love? And your ability to rejoice with those who rejoice?

Take some time to confess any jealousy you find and pray that God will prevent it from continuing and harming relationships in your life.

Here are some steps to fighting jealousy that I’ve found effective:

- It is very difficult to be jealous of someone you are sincerely praying for. Often those feelings of jealousy are replaced with genuine love for that person as you pray for them. You begin to find it exciting when good things happen to them and feel privileged to be a part of participating in their lives in a special way.

- Praise God for creating that person. Thank Him for the ways their talents, beauty, success, etc. enrich the lives of those around them and fulfill the special purposes He has for their lives. Praise does amazing things in our hearts.

- Ask God to give you the eyes to see them the way that He sees them and the heart to love them the way that He does. Ask Him to equip you with genuine desire to see them prosper and to be blessed.

Father,

Forgive me for the way jealousy has crept into my life. I lift this situation ________ and ask you to work in a mighty way to heal that relationship. Change my thinking and replace my jealousy with genuine love. Show me how to esteem others above myself and to love like you love. Help me to appreciate the variety of gifts and talents you’ve given other people. Enable me to rejoice with those who rejoice. Help me to be content with my own life, gifts, and blessings. I thank you for the change you are going to do in my heart and in my relationships.

In Jesus’ Name I pray,
Amen

More of God’s Word:
1. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. -Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

2. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. - Romans 13:12-14 (NIV)

God bless your week! I am praying that you all have a blessed time celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. He is Risen!

Love,