What if you got a gift bag and you filled it with pretty tissue paper and put a beautiful bow on the outside?  BUT…you didn’t actually put a present inside the bag. It sure is pretty. Decorated just gorgeous. BUT..it’s empty.

Pretty much a waste isn’t it? What’s the point of it? Would you want that gift?

Now..

In life, we all pretty much do the same thing sometimes. Sure, we look like we have it all together. Hair fixed. Decent outfit. A home with manicured yards (with my house being the exception.. ). We all may look like we have it all together.

Five Bibles in the house. “Praying” before each meal. Going to church. You know..doing the “right” things. To look good.

How’s the inside look? See..God looks on the inward appearance.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) ~ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Everybody sees our outward appearance. Only God and (me or you) can see what is on the inside.

Will you take a look on the inside with me? Will you look within..like I am doing..and see what may need to improve with the attitude of the heart?

Otherwise, we are just nicely decorated..empty packages.

I don’t want to be an empty package that just looks like it should. I want to glorify HIM in ALL things. HE sees the inward appearance. We can’t fool HIM.

“What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”~ Hans Urs von Balthasar

Questions for you and for me:

1) What are some changes that you may need to make? 

2) How’s your attitude?

3) Do you realize that we can’t fool our God?

Until Next Time,

You probably are wondering why in the world I chose the title above. Truth is, I didn’t. In fact, I woke up around 3 A.M. and God gave me this title. So, here we go.

Never say never. The “objects” that you are seeing occur in other people’s lives can very easily occur in yours as well. I had a vision of a mirror with many different words written on it. Picture it with me:

SIN. LOSS. BETRAYAL. HURT. FEAR.

SIN…ADDICTION…IDOLATRY…GREED..GOSSIP…HATRED…SLANDER

ADDICTION…LUST, EXCESSIVE SPENDING, OVEREATING, ALCOHOL ADDICTION, DRUG ADDICTION, PORNOGRAPHY, ADULTERY and the list goes on and on.

The objects in the mirror can be closer than they appear.

Closer than they appear to you. Closer than they appear to others.

They all are a part of the battle we are in..against Flesh. SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Satan wants us to fail. He wants us to be separated from God.

Ephesians 6:11 ~ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Never say never my friends. Always be on guard against the Devil and his schemes. Your mirror may appear to be clean..but is it really?

If there is SIN in your life that you think is “HIDDEN”, you are mistaken. Forgive me for speaking so boldly. It isn’t meant to sound judgemental in any way, shape, or form. I say these things because I truly care. I know what it is to be truly surrendered to God. AND… I know what it is to not be surrendered.

You can say, “Oh, I HAVE surrendered to GOD.” Your actions will prove it though. You know. God knows.

James 2:17 (NIV) ~ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

When you face a trial, do you have true and complete peace in knowing that God really is enough? Do you truly feel that you are filled with Joy that can’t be explained any other way? Are you able to smile when the “world” would tell you to hide and fall apart?

There is a difference. In the way you handle life’s awful storms. When you finally…truly…SURRENDER ALL.

There’s a peace…an Anchor, if you will. To be able to smile and have hope…when before you might have done the opposite. It’s the result of full Surrender.

“  Oh, nobody knows about my “little” sin. ” “It doesn’t hurt anybody but me.” “ I still love God.” “ I am saved, so I can do it and just ask Him to forgive me..I mean..it says He forgives when I ask.”  AND here’s a huge one.. ” I am just too weak.”

Those are all lies. Satan wants you and me to believe those things. The fact is, SIN is anything that separates us from God. Separated.

Separated…think about it. To be apart from…cut off…

I don’t ever want that. I need my Father God. Every minute of every single day.

It is a conscious CHOICE. There is that word again that I seem to use a lot in my posts.

The moment you decide to follow God, the Holy Spirit comes to guide you. Sin that you don’t get rid of is like a wall of heavy stones. The stones are stacked one on top of the other. With each stone the wall gets higher and higher. Each time you CHOOSE sin over righteousness, picture that wall being built that separates you from God. Leaving you miserable and ineffective for His calling on your life. Ineffective only until you SURRENDER to God fully. When you do, you’ll be able to resist the temptations and even laugh at them.. Not because YOU are resisting, but because YOU are allowing God to finally fight your battles!

Ephesians 5:11 (NIV) ~ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of the darkness, but rather expose them.

Honestly, I would like to write out the entire portion of Ephesians 5…but, instead…just read it if you will..

If you want to truly follow God, you have to make a choice to pick Him over that temptation. God knows we aren’t perfect…and He knows we can’t do life alone. We need HIM. He doesn’t NEED us.

It’s a DAILY CHOICE…minute by minute…second by second… A Daily Walk.

Galatians 5:16 ~ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

   I leave you with this last passage of Scripture. Read it …soak on it..and believe it. His Word is Truth..His Word is Alive.

1 Peter 5:7-11 ~ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

   Standing Firm!

   Until Next Time,

   There is a topic that I know we can all relate to. It is one that we all have experienced. Something that is unpleasant at times.

   I have written about it many times. In many different contexts. I don’t know that I have blogged about this aspect of it, though.

   Forgiveness…even without an apology.

   How in the world do you forgive someone if they haven’t apologized?

   How do you do that? Is it even possible?

   Do you have to?

   The answer to “Do you have to?” is …NO. You don’t HAVE to do anything. You can hold a grudge. Be bitter. Let unforgiveness take residence in your mind and soul. OR, you can do for others just as God does for you. YOU CAN FORGIVE. EVERYTHING. ANYTHING.

   HOW?

   Only through having a relationship with GOD. A real one. A consistent one. Praying. Listening to God.

   And then. It is still sometimes difficult. This I know, it can’t be done on your own. It takes the strength that comes from God.

   WHAT IF….?

   Face it. Life isn’t fair. Unfortunately, even Christians hold onto something called PRIDE. Even Christians don’t always do what God calls us to do. Forgive. Pray for those who persecute us. Love your “enemy”. Turn the other cheek. Admit our faults.

   So, how can we really and truly forgive and move on…when the one who hurt us, doesn’t see it? How can we get better when we are holding on to the hurt?

   I can tell you this. God IS the ONLY TRUE SOURCE of PEACE and COMFORT. He IS Forgiveness. He IS Love.

   I can’t tell you that you truly ever quit hurting completely. You may and you may not.  I suppose that is because we struggle with trusting God fully…unfortunately. We just do. We want things “our way”. Or atleast..I know that I do..

   There comes a time when we have to choose to move on. Move on whether or not there is mutual forgiveness. Move on even if the other person NEVER apologizes. Really. Leaving it all in the hands of God. Trusting Him fully. Even when we just don’t understand. Trusting that HIS timing is way different than ours. His ways are completely different than ours…THANK GOODNESS!!

   Ephesians 4:31,32 (NIV) ~ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

   As long as you have truly done what is right in God’s eyes…you can move on. Notice that I didn’t say “what is right in your own eyes”.

   Hosea 14:9 (NIV) ~ Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

   It really is possible to forgive even when the other person doesn’t. It really is possible to forgive and move forward even when the one who hurt you doesn’t seem to care. See, God does care. He does know the outcome. We simply have to trust Him and do what is right on our end. That is all we can really do.

   In God’s Word, He specifically calls us to forgive. Not just the ones WE want to forgive. (Colossians 3:13)

   There is no better feeling than forgiveness. Think about the times you have hurt others and hurt God…and how you were forgiven by others and God. It is a feeling of relief…right?  That feeling of being forgiven. That feeling of peace.

   It is possible to forgive when you are walking closely with God. It is possible to love others just like Jesus does.

   Colossians 3:12 – 14 (NIV) ~ Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

   I hope that as we end the year, that we all take a long, hard look within. Is there bitterness we are holding on to? Unforgiveness? Pride? Resentment? Hurt?

  We have to place all of our hope in God. He never lets us down.

   He always forgives. He always forgets.

   We should too.

   What a gift it is…Forgiveness.

   What a gift Jesus was and is…Redeemer..Savior..The Forgiver of our sins..

   What a gift to give someone as the year comes to an end….a wrong being made right. An apology. With no expectations, except to make things right. And, to show them JESUS.

   Life is so short …this life here on this earth. We aren’t promised tomorrow or even the next second. It’s never too late to make a fresh start.

   With others and with God. AND, if it is in HIS plans..reconciliation may be an extra bonus for your relationship with the one who hurt you or the one you hurt…

   Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Wishing peace and joy to you and your family…and a fresh start. Because…it IS possible.

   UNTIL NEXT TIME,

My Family November 2011 ~ photography by my precious friend who is like a sister to me..Becky Platt

  Do you ever feel like everywhere you turn you are hearing the same message? Maybe through a devotion, a song, a friend, a book, or a message at church. Have you ever stopped to think that it could be God speaking to you? More than likely it is.

   Being still with God is a whole lot harder than I thought. I pray and talk to God all the time. I talk. I even listen sometimes. Apparently I have some work to do in the being still part. I wonder what He is thinking as I just talk and won’t hush my mouth and be still. I suppose that is why He has to use other ways to make us “get it”..like books, devotions, blogs, songs and other people. Little things that we can so easily miss or mistake for just coincidence.

   If only we would just be still and let Him be who He is anyways!

   I’m going to be transparent with you. I have a bad habit of interrupting my sweet husband when he is trying to tell a story. This is partly because he is so slow in his storytelling and I tend to want him to hurry up and get to the point. Bless his heart. He probably gets so frustrated with my impatience. Convicted. Ouch. Apparently I do the same thing with my sweet Savior too.  As I sat and tried to just “Be still”, I caught myself trying to start a conversation with God in my head. (like He needed me to initiate the conversation??) I couldn’t even hush in my head! That is when I felt like God was saying..”Heather, be quiet….and just be still..give me a chance to speak.”

   Now, I am by no means saying that I heard an audible voice. I am not saying that I hear voices either! I am saying that when I finally quieted my spirit and my soul..that I could feel His presence more. I even had a random thought that could only be from Him come to my mind. I even thought..”okay..well why did that thought just pop into my head?”

   It’s harder than you think to just be still with Jesus. Especially since we are normally in a state of motion..making plans, running errands, taking care of things. Guess what though?? It is possible! I am a person that has a hard time just sitting ..unless I am doing something else while I am sitting. I am a multi-tasker. If I can do it…you can too! I promise you will be blessed.

   Pay attention to those thoughts that come to mind when you actually give that time to God, and are still and quiet with no distractions. Start with 5 or 10 minutes..and see where it leads. Don’t give up after the first few minutes of noise that is hard to quiet in your head. You can do it!  Time with Jesus is never wasted time.  He will bless you. He will speak to you. You just have to learn how to be still and pay attention to the little things. (by the way, that is what I felt Him say to me in my quiet time today..and I didn’t really know why until now…but the random thought was “pay attention to the little things, that it’s all important“)

   If a recurring theme or message keeps smacking you in the face, pay attention because more than likely there is a reason. It’s up to us to slow down and be still and let Him be God. He IS GOD anyways…He is God of ALL.

   Here are some verses from His word, that relate to the topic of BEING STILL and LISTENING :

   Psalm 37:7a (ESV) ~ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him

   Psalm 46:10a ~ “Be still, and know that I am God.”

   John 10:27 (NIV) ~ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  ( See, Jesus is referred to as our Shepherd and we are referred to as sheep)

   Revelation 3:20 (NIV)~ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  (Jesus desires a relationship with us. He is patient and He is persistent. He tries to talk with us..we have to open up the door though.)

    I leave you with a challenge. Try just being still with Jesus. Don’t give up..because it’s going to be harder than you think..keep trying. I would love to hear back from you of how you have been blessed by this time with Jesus. Leave me a comment if you would like. If you are not signed up (subscribing) to my blog..please do! I promise that you only receive an email when I publish a new post. You can LIKE my Simple Truths Facebook page as well. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Blessings to you all!

   Until Next Time!

  Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) ~ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

   Hope….to look to God for all that we need…that is what hope means in this verse. If we put our hope in God, He in turn gives us the strength to endure and persevere. Not “man” strength..GOD strength!

   Thank goodness His strength and power is nothing like the kind of strength I have on my own.  

  2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV) ~ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

   When we suffer..it should remind us of how Christ suffered for us. Our troubles keep us humble, which is the opposite of being prideful. Here’s the most important thing though, the way we react to our “troubles” or suffering. God is given the opportunity to show his power to others through our suffering. Our faith or lack of faith is proved to others in our times of trouble.

   Our suffering can be a HUGE witness for Christ!

   Let’s be honest here, I don’t really ever recall jumping up and down for joy because of suffering. No…can’t say that I have. Feelings hurt..”Man that feels great!”…ummm, I don’t think so.

   This I do know, as I am growing more mature in my faith in Christ…stronger and steadier in my Spiritual walk, I am discovering the strength that only is gained through a real personal relationship with Christ Jesus. I am learning to rely on His strength..not mine. Truth be known, I have no strength apart from God. He is my strength!

   The closer I get to God, the more I want to bring Him glory. The only way to bring Him glory is to fully trust Him. I am learning to ask Him..”Lord, what do you want me to do for YOU today?” Knowing that when I ask Him this and choose to obey..that it could mean “suffering” in order to point to my faith in Christ Jesus. Sometimes, our suffering is the only way that others may ever choose to follow Christ..because of the evidence of our faith that is proven through our troubles.

   William Barclay said: “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but turn it into glory.”

   What better way to close..but to say this, My suffering..your suffering..it is never in vain when we are able to use it to bring God glory. Let’s change our perspective on troubles and trials. Let’s ask God, “What do you want me to learn from this? How can I glorify You through this Lord?”

   Life here in this fallen world can be tough..Life here on this earth is unbearable if you don’t know Jesus. Do you know Him? Don’t wait…quit trying to do it all on your own.

   Blessings My Friends!

   UNTIL NEXT TIME!