InstaEncouragements Blog

Are You Ready to Receive God’s Blessings

4/26/2019

I love it when I commit to read through the Scriptures in a year. It is AMAZING to be able to see the scope of God’s plan from Genesis to Revelation! In my reading, I always pause when I come to the chapters about God’s chosen people, the Israelites. I actually have a love/hate relationship with these people because they remind me so much of myself.

God chose Abraham’s descendants to be a testimony to all the other nations of God’s goodness, holiness, and power. He performed miracles on their behalf to get them out of their bondage as slaves in Egypt so they could go to the land He had promised to give to them. Unfortunately, the children of Israel did not always cooperate with God and His plan. The journey, which should have taken eleven days, ended up taking forty years!

What Went Wrong?

First, the people were not prepared to receive the blessing of a Promised Land yet. Only three verses and three days after the powerful praise songs of Moses and Miriam about their deliverance through the Red Sea (Exodus 15), the Bible says, “The people complained against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” God miraculously provided pure water for them. The next chapter says, “The children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron…you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” This time the Lord provided manna for them from heaven. They then wanted meat, so God gave them meat. And on and on it goes as they complained and did things their own way instead of God’s way. But each time God would provide, discipline, and draw them back to Himself (Deuteronomy 8:2-5). He was preparing them for the fulfillment of His great promise of a special land.

God has blessings and promises for us too, but are they being held back because of our complaining and disobedience? It’s a shame some of us just aren’t ready to receive the gracious gifts God has in store for us. Why do we, like the Israelites, choose a desert land instead of a land flowing with milk and honey?

Secondly, the Israelites did not know the true God—the God they were supposed to reflect to the other nations. The people had been enslaved in Egypt for four hundred years. They did not have freedom to worship, and they saw the Egyptians worshiping everything from the sun to animals to the Pharaoh. God spent the wilderness years revealing Himself to them with miracles, provisions, love, care, discipline and judgement. When told to go take the Promised Land after they left Egypt their attitude was one of complaining, whining, rebelling, and refusing to go forward and conquer (Numbers 14). But their response to proceed changed after they realized who God was and that He always did what He said He would do. So forty years later, when given a second chance to possess the land, their response was, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.” (Joshua 1:16) They had learned a lot about loving, trusting and obeying God during their wandering in the desert.

Our lives reflect what we believe or do not believe about God. Do we know our God? He has revealed Himself to us through His Word. We must read, study, and meditate on Scripture so God can teach us who He is, especially since we are to be like Him. Are we reflecting the one true God to the people around us?

What is your favorite way to read, study, and meditate on Scripture?

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Parenting: the Job That Never Ends

3/29/2019

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How do we parent adult children?

I used to think that parenting was hardest when my children were so dependent on me for everything, which started when they were infants. However, as my children grew up, went off to college, and then moved out of the house I realized parenting became a whole lot harder. I know that must sound strange because I no longer dressed them, helped them with homework, transported them to ballgames, cooked their meals, or did their laundry.

So what makes parenting adult children so difficult?

You are no longer their authority.
You are no longer a part of their decision making.
You are no longer a part of everything they do.

Of course, as Christian parents our goal is to help train our children to be productive, independent, God-fearing, young people. So, while they are in our home we try, by God’s grace, to point them in right directions and help them set right priorities.

Once they are on their own, our parenting role changes drastically.

At this point in their lives the best thing we can do for them is pray.

Pray they have wisdom.
Pray the have discernment.
Pray they continue to love the Lord.
Pray they have godly friendships and spouses.
Pray they fill their days with good activities.
Pray about your relationship with them.
Pray, pray, pray.

Many Christian parents are heartbroken because of prodigal children. Parents should be reminded that the verse,

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

is a principle found in Proverbs and not a promise. Once our children become adults they are accountable to God for their choices. Parents are not to blame for these choices.

What is the parents’ role at this point?

Pray that God changes their hearts.
Pray that the Spirit convicts them of their sin.
Pray that godly people will cross their path and influence them.
Pray, pray, pray.

What if you are a young parent?

Follow biblical principles in rearing your children.
Point them to the gospel every chance you get.
Help them learn to love God’s Word.
Be a godly example to them.
Teach them how to walk with God.
Pray they are a blessing to others.
Pray for their Salvation.
Pray about their Christian growth.
Pray, pray, pray.

“He [God] commanded our fathers, that they should make them [commandments] known to their children.” Psalm 78:5

There are no perfect parents.

We must depend on God’s guidance and grace.

Pray for wisdom.
Pray for insight.
Pray to be spirit controlled.
Pray, pray, pray.

Patenting is truly a gift from God.

We are stewards of special treasures. We should make the most of every moment. From infancy through adulthood we need to trust God with our children realizing He loves them even more than we do. And continually we pray, pray, pray.

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17

Download this 30-day prayer challenge from Revive Our Hearts, and start praying for your adult children today!

In just one month's time you will have prayed for them in areas like salvation, growth in grace, love, honesty and integrity, self-control, love for God's Word, justice, mercy, respect, biblical self-esteem, faithfulness, courage, purity, kindness, generosity, peace-loving, joy, perseverance, humility, compassion, responsibility, contentment, faith, a servant's heart, hope, willingness and ability to work, passion for God, self-discipline, prayerfulness, and gratitude

What is your prayer today for the adult children in your life?

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The Making of a Masterpiece

3/1/2019

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God has given me many ministry opportunities over the years, and one of those ministries was working in a museum of Christian art. Ironically my husband was the artist in our family; he taught art in Christian schools; and he even proposed marriage to me at an art museum.

When we moved to Greenville for my husband to pastor, our church congregation was small. To help with finances I began working at the Museum & Gallery at Bob Jones University. I received a lot of art training, gave tours, and became captivated with everything art.

The M&G collection is made up of Old Master paintings, tapestries, etchings, stained glass, and even furniture. It was interesting to learn that each art form goes through a process for completion, and there are specific tools used to accomplish the final masterpiece.

As Christians Our Artist is God

He is taking us through a process of sanctification or completion. Psalms 37:23, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”
He uses specific tools to accomplish this. Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
Our lives should be a direct reflection of Him. Jeremiah 61:3, “[He] gives them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness…that He might be glorified.”

A Fascinating Type of Artwork is Etching

Let’s look at how an etching is done as we think about God making us a masterpiece for His glory.

First the artist takes a polished metal plate and applies ground or resin to it. Spiritually--At salvation our lives are a new blank slate (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we are covered with Christ’s righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
Next a sharp etching tool is used to draw into the ground. Spiritually--After we are covered in Christ’s righteousness, He begins making us into His image with the etching needle of God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12, 13)
The next step involves acid. The plate is submerged in an acid bath to bite away the layers of metal and chemically engrave the plate. Spiritually--The acid bath is like the trials we go through (James 1:2-4). These are the times that we really learn who God is and who we are. It takes these trials to etch Christ’s image on our lives.
Finally the plate is inked and pressure is applied to the artist’s plate and the etched image transfers to the paper for the finished print. Spiritually--Pressure in our lives reveals who we really are, which should be a beautiful picture of Christ likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).

As our Master Artist takes us through the sanctification process our prayer should be these words from the hymn O to Be Like Thee:

"O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee!
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart."