The Word at Work in You Post 12

by Tracey McMahan

As some of you know, I’ve been spending the summer memorizing a select group of Psalms. I’ll be honest with you, it’s been somewhat of a struggle. I may not learn all eight of the Psalms I originally chose, but I hope to become intimate with the ones I’ve tackled so far.

My most recent challenge is Psalm 34, and lately verse 3 has been at work in me: O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. What a wonderful verse! It makes me want to jump up and join David in magnifying and exalting our great God. But what do those words really mean?

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “magnify?” Does it conjure up images of Sherlock Holmes, complete with tweed hat and curved pipe, leaning over some clue, intently examining it with his magnifying glass? We know that magnification makes something appear larger than it actually is. A tiny ant can take on the appearance of a ferocious beast. And that miniscule wrinkle in the corner of our eye can take on new dimensions when looked at in a magnifying mirror!

Problems in our lives are magnified when we give them greater importance than they actually deserve. We can also magnify people, elevating them to a position they may not want or should not be given. But there are some things and Someone worthy of being magnified.

The Hebrew word for magnify (gadal) means to make great, powerful or important. It’s often translated “grow,” with the idea that a child might grow up to assume an important position, or a man might grow in riches and be seen as great and powerful. The LORD God magnified Joshua when He chose him to be the successor of Moses. Men such as Samson, Samuel and Solomon were all magnified before their God.

Scripture says that God magnifies both Himself and His word:

"I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 38:23).

I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word according to all Your name (Psalm 138:2).

The second part of Psalm 34:3 highlights the word exalt (ruwm) which means to set on high, to lift or raise up. As I looked at this word throughout the Psalms, I noted that God Himself as well as the city of His heart, Jerusalem are all to be exalted or elevated to a place of extreme importance and significance.

Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His footstool; Holy is He (Psalm 99:5).

May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy (Psalm 137:6).

So let’s put it all together. I will make great the name of the only One worthy of praise and adulation. He is All Powerful and of greatest importance in my life. I will set His Name, His Character, and His word above all else, loving and adoring His majesty, His holiness, and His essence. I will lift up Who He is and all He is – Ruler, King, Master, and Lord – setting Him above every person and every possession of this world or the world to come.

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together today and every day for the rest of our lives. Amen.

How has the Word been at work in you lately? We’d love to have you share!

The Word At Work In You Post 11

Over the past few weeks I have been memorizing Psalm 19:7-14. These verses are so full and rich that they can't help but ooze their transforming work into any willing heart.

So, for this WAW Team posting I am going to simply use some color to highlight patterns I have observed as I reveiw them each day..  I've also included a few thoughts from the Expositor's Commentary on some of the words but  have tried to limit the commentary comments this time and just let these inspired words speak for themselves.

These are verses 7-11 from Psalm 19~

 The instructions of the LORD are perfect,
reviving the soul
(Reviving - restores, gives healing to the whole person, assures forgiveness, cleanses and gives life to the godly. It unleashes the promises of God by his gracious redemptive acts) 
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,
  making wise the simple.
(trustworthy -true in principle and verifiable in the situations of life)
The commandments of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
(right- straightforward and just),
The commands of the LORD are clear,
giving insight for living.
(In the same way the sun lights the earth, the Word lights & gives clarity to our path)
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.

(Every time I get to this point in these verses, this verse comes to mind..."Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) )
 But back to the verse at hand....

They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.

They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.

(The Word of God, in its revelatory qualities and its transforming effects in the godly, is of greater value than the most valuable objects of man's striving: money (gold) or fine food (honey from the comb) Expositor's Bible Commentary)

They are a warning to your servant,
(forewarning the one willing to do God's bidding of possible pitfalls)

 a great reward for those who obey them.
 (a great reward because the Word guides one on to the rewards of godliness: life, God-given joy, wisdom, and contentment)

So the Word of God, His instruction, decrees, commandments, commands and laws are:

perfect
trustworthy
right
clear
pure
true
more desirable than gold
and sweeter than honey.  
A warning to servants
and a great reward indeed.  

They

revive the soul
make wise the simple
bring joy to the heart
give insight for living
are eternal
and each one is fair

Anybody else out there want a little more of that in your life?


How has the Word been at work in you? Share a verse and something the Lord is speaking to you through it.  Doesn't have to be fancy....just something short and simple.

(Comments in green  from the Expositor's Bible Commentary)

Next session of our summertime series is June 19th. Join us!

Are you dressed to kill or dressed to live?


Come and discover what our true Master Desginer describes as a well-dressed disciple!


Tuesday night, June 19th
The Blue Room at BCC
6:30 - 8:00pm
No fees, registration or expertise required
Just bring a Bible and a readiness to learn:)

Led by Tracey McMahan

WAW Team Post #10. The Desire War

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  James 4:1 (NKJV)

Wars are ugly.

If you are a believer you have most likely experienced a civil war of sorts raging in your own body when it comes to "desire."

Desire can be good or bad. (Desire - to wish, design, purpose, resolve, determine; to crave pleasure; to crave gratification)

It is at its best when Isaiah 26:8 is at the core.

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

It is at its worst when it craves, yearns, pulls and urges for its own way.  For whatever will gratify its own pleasure.

The "desire" battlefield has distinct sides. One side is to glorify God; the other is to gratify self.  Will we spend ourselves on His purposes or our own?   The problem is not the clarity of the sides as much as it is muddled motives. The reality is even though we verbalize one thing our desires surreptitiously press for another.  I know that’s been true in my own life.

These are some examples I've been turning around in my head.  Some of them really make me squirm:

Do we really want to honor God with our bodies or do we just say that while covertly gratifying desires to be lazy, overindulgent, or lustful?

Do we trust His goodness enough to share our posessions or do we spend excessive amounts on ourselves and hoard?

Is our request for His fame genuine or are we really hoping to become famous ourselves?

Is our prayer for His anointing so that He might have greater recognition and honor or is it so that we can be admired and sought after?

The intoxicating lure of status, position, possessions, image, honor and approval can twist and taint our desires.

There is only one cure.

Christ.

We need Him for salvation and we need Him just as much to live a life that brings honor to Him.

We need Him to bring our desires to light and take His surgical scalpel to what needs to be cut out and replaced. Are we willing to ask Him to do this?

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. Psalm 19:12-13 (NLT)

There is nothing like the penetrating gaze of God into a heart to cut through all our pretense and see our naked desires.

Nothing like His Word to shine a light into the hidden recesses.

We need Christ to Cleanse us through the Word. John 15:3

We need Him to sanctify us by the truth of His Word. John 17:17

And we need Him to purify us as we obey Him. 1 Peter 1:22

Sisters, if the Word is not at work in us then we are left to the world and its systems being at work in us. And that will lead to a constant pull to please and gratify self.

And that will lead to death. (James 1:15)

Wars always bring death. And the "desire" war is no different.  But Christ’s death makes possible for us to consider our earthly desires as dead. 

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  Colossians 3:5 (NASB95)
 
And it makes it possible for us to deny ourselves and follow Him.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24

But the choice is ours. 

 How is the Word at Work in you this week?

Changing Habits

If anyone out there is struggling with addiction or just battling a negative habit, may this encourage you today.

It is from Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson.

Chapter 1:
I walk down the street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I fall in.  I am lost.  I am helpless.  It isn’t my fault.  It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I pretend I don’t see it.  I fall in again.  I can’t believe I am in this same place.  But it isn’t my fault.  It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I see it is there.  I fall in … it’s a habit … but my eyes are open.  I know where I am. It is my fault.  I get out immediately.

Chapter 4:
I walk down the same street.  There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.  I walk around it.

Chapter 5:
I walk down a different street.

James 4:7 (NASB95) Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Luke 10:19 (NASB95) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

Isaiah 54:17 (NASB95) "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

John 8:36 (NASB95) 
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. "

WAW Team Post #9 - Fear

by Tracey McMahan

It’s lunch break at my office, and I never know which direction the conversation might take. A co-worker asks, “So, what are you afraid of?”

“Spiders!” one woman answers. “They give me the creeps.”

“Birds,” adds someone else. “I blame that old movie!”

“Scary movies,” chimes in another. “Not the weird, way-out ones, but the ones that could really happen.”

The conversation shifts before I can share how God’s word has been at work in me on this very subject of fear. So may I share with you, dear friend?

Recently I’ve been looking at fear through the eyes of Psalm 27. Fear can be defined as “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” Also “something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension.”

Fear can be a good thing. Being afraid of heights is good if it keeps you away from the edge of a cliff. Being afraid of fire keeps a child’s fingers out of the flames. Showing fear or “reverential awe, respect and veneration” toward God is not only good and right but commanded of all true believers:

Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Psalm 33:8).

O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want (Psalm 34:9).

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).

Psalm 27 deals with the futility of fear right out of the box. The LORD, the Sovereign God of the Universe, the mighty and powerful Creator of all things is my light, my salvation, and my defense. He illumines my way. He saves my soul from evil and from death. He defends me against my enemies, protecting me from anyone or anything that threatens me.

God shelters me, conceals me and keeps me safe as I seek His face. So whom shall I fear? Whom shall I dread? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31). I read those words and fear flees from my heart. Courage and confidence take its place. And I am unafraid… at least until something or someone else comes along and threatens to rock my world; then fear may raise its ugly head once again. But this time I’ll be armed with Psalm 27 like a sword of steel – the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). This time I will recognize that God truly is my help and my salvation, my stronghold and my sanctuary. I can be strong and let my heart take courage because it safely trusts in Him. Isn’t He marvelous?

Have you ever allowed fear to get the better of you? Has it ever stolen inside your thoughts like a thief, threatening to rob you of your peace and joy? Has it wrapped its tentacles of lies around you, seeking to pry your grasp from the Father’s hand of comfort and protection?

And what has your fear looked like?

Maybe like Moses, it’s the fear of inadequacy. But God says, “I will be with you and teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-11).

Maybe like Solomon, it’s the fear of evildoers. But God says, “I will be your confidence” (Proverbs 3:26).

Maybe like the disciples, it’s the fear of the unknown. But God says, “Take courage; I am here” (Matthew 14:27).

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I contend, dear friend, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing whatsoever to fear but God Himself,  and we can confidently cry out, “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid” (Psalm 56:4).

What about you? Is there a passage of scripture that has helped you face and overcome a particular fear in your life? I’d love to hear how the word is working in you today.

Summtertime....And the Living is Easy....

Audra Peterson recently shared some plans her family will be doing over the next few months which sparked the thought in my head to post it and see what some of the rest of you girls are planning to do over the lazy days of summer.

From Audra:

 Some of you know me and my family and some of you do not.  But for those who are interested, let me quickly explain. Recently my step-mom passed away and when we were in FL visiting my dad for her memorial, my dad said he was thinking of buying an RV and going across the country this summer and wanted to take his grandkids. While we were still visiting him, he passed an RV for sale by owner, liked it, and bought it. It was like God's stamp of approval on this adventure. So, myself, Audra, and my four kids are soon to be traveling across the US into Canada and eventually Alaska, in an RV with my dad. My husband, Jeremy, is 100% behind it even though we will be apart for 2-3 mos. He is glad that grandpa will have time to impart wisdom and life experience into our kids. But my dad has graciously offered to fly Jeremy up to Alaska for a week when we get there.

I have set up a blog website so that you can watch our travels as they unfold. This is a nice way to keep in touch and involve those we love in this amazing experience for me and my family. All you do is punch in this address into your browser's address bar (or copy and paste it in): www.peterson-rvtrip.tumblr.com
Make sure you type it just as is or who knows what you will get! Save the site to your favorites and keep an eye on us! We leave around the 9th of May for MI and then to visit fam in WI and on to Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone, and then up into Alberta Canada and on to Alaska from there. I will update as often as we have an internet connection (hopefully).

Please keep us in your prayers.  This will be an awesome trip but not without it's sanctifying moments!  Also, my dad is not a born again believer.  We hope to continue to be a light to him and the truth of an authentic, personal relationship with Jesus that can be his as well. Pray for that. Thanks.
The Peterson Family: Audra, Simone, Danielle, Mikayla and Uzziah


So how about you? What are your plans for the summer?  Are you
~ taking a family vacation?
~learning a new skill?
~resolving to organize or reorganize your home?
~hanging out at the baseball fields consuming lots of hotdogs and popcorn?
~or simply looking to soak your feet in the cool Davidson River and devour some great books? 

Do you have a Bible study planned or a goal to memorize some special passages?  Share with us and maybe you can help ignite some inspiration in the rest of us!