I Want to be a Bulldog

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battles, breath of God, burdens, calling, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, deep things of God, encouragment, exhaustion, goals, hanging on, perseverance, tenacity, YHWH

I learned something about bulldogs last week that fascinated me. The nostrils of a bulldog actually slant backwards. Bulldogs were created for not letting go. When they are hanging on to something with those massive jaws, they can still breathe. Bulldogs are designed by the God of the universe to hang on! Amazing, isn’t it? YourPureBredPuppy.com says a bulldog’s “tenacity and resolve mean that it’s difficult to change his mind once he decides to do something. He is surprisingly sensitive, remembers what he learns, and responds well to patient, persistent training that utilizes food motivation.” Hmm…food for motivation…I definitely want to be a bulldog. GRIN!

Seriously though, I want to have the tenacity of a bulldog, don’t you? I want to remember all the things that God has taught me over the years. I want to be persistent and cling to the dreams that God has placed in my heart. I want to hold fast to the truth of God’s Word even when everyone around me loses their grip. II Timothy 3:14 says, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;” In other words, hang on to what you know! Be a bulldog!

In all honesty, I usually give up too easily. Over the long haul my excitement fades and my perseverance is not all that it should be. The ministry that started out as an exciting dream now just seems like work. I begin to doubt. I get discouraged. I start to lose my grip. I need to be reminded almost constantly that Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” I want to have the resolve of a bulldog, but it does not come naturally for me. So, I have to ask the questions, “How does a bulldog hang on?” “How does he keep a tight hold when everything around him is saying to let go?” “Where does he get his strength?”

I’m beginning to understand that a bulldog can stay locked on to its target because he can still breathe. Our God’s name is YHWH. In the Hebrew language it is said that the pronunciation of YHWH is impossible. It is like the sound of a breath. He is our oxygen, our breath, and He is how we will be able to hang on. We can never hang on in our own strength. It’s always about Him, His Spirit in us.

Isaiah 42:5-12 says, “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” Not only does this verse tell us that God gives us breath, but also that He is holding our hands while He is doing it. Think about when we go to the dentist and have an invasive procedure. Oftentimes, we are offered some sort of “laughing gas” to help us be calm. As youngsters, we often not only had the “gas”, but also a parent sitting with us holding our hand. We are God’s children and He is beside us not only providing our breath, but He is also holding our hand. We are never alone. He is with us, providing what we need every step of the way. That’s our precious YHWH.

In the book of Ezekiel we see another example of how God is our strength through His breath. Ezekiel is taken to a valley of dry bones and is told to prophecy to the Breath of God’s Spirit to come into the dead, dry bones and they will come to life. Ezekiel 37 tells us that is exactly what happened. Those brittle, weak, dry bones received new life, new strength and new perseverance through the breath of God’s Spirit. When they could breathe the breath of the Spirit again, they were able to hang on to their original task. They had the strength to continue. We are reminded that it’s never too late to become a bulldog!

So, the next time you see me struggling to hang on to a dream that God has placed inside of me remind me that Acts 17:25 tells me that God gives breath to all things. Remind me that any struggle God calls me to is worth it. Remind me that He will receive glory and remind me that I want to be a bulldog.

I’ll leave you with a link to a song that ties in so well. Enjoy!

Seeking Hearts Ministries

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Ask, Seek and Knock

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answers from God, ask, asking, direction, find, knock, knocking, prayer, seek, seeking, unexpected answers

 

“Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8, NAS
Verse seven and eight in Matthew chapter seven tell us that if we ask, we will receive and if we seek, we will find. This is faith empowering for all of us, but oftentimes we must remember that prayers are not answered in the way we expect. In fact, sometimes God says, “no” instead of “yes”. So, how can this fact mesh up with these verses?
First off, these verses tell us that when we ask we will be given something, but this passage is not specific about what we will be given. We are to ask, but then trust God with the giving. We may be praying for a certain opportunity, but God opens another door of opportunity that we never even thought to ask about. Was it specifically what we had in mind? No, but we did receive an opportunity.
I think about our kids’ Christmas lists some years. They put things on that list that my husband and I both know is simply a whim. They just saw a commercial about it, thought it would be neat, so BOOM! on the list it goes. As loving parents, we remember their interests throughout the year. We remember their hearts’ desires. We remember how it was to be a kid, get caught up in the moment and forget what we really wanted.
God must look at our prayer lists that way sometimes. A spur of the moment idea is easily deciphered from our true hearts’ desire with Him. He hears the longings in our souls that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). He knows what is best for us long-term and answers accordingly. God can be trusted to give the very best for us when we ask.
Secondly, the book of Matthew tells us to “seek and you shall find.” We must ask ourselves the question, ‘What am I seeking?’ Are we seeking God’s direction? When we do, we will find it according to Isaiah 30:20b-21. Are we seeking God Himself? If we are, we will find Him according to Isaiah 30:19b. In fact, Isaiah 65:24 says, “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking I will hear.” I love that verse! We are assured that God loves to answer us. He is not playing hide and seek. He is desirous of a relationship with us. When we seek, we will find.
Thirdly, when we knock, the Word tells us that “it shall be opened”. I have to think about the many times that I have visited a friend, or acquaintance for the first time. I go to the front door and knock, but no one answers. I knock and knock and wonder what is going on because I know that they know I am coming over. All at once I hear a distant voice yelling for me to come around to the back door. So, I do. I was knocking and the door was opened, but it was at a different place than what I was originally expecting.
Are you starting to see? God always answers, but often times we are looking in the wrong direction. When we are looking up to Him instead of in the direction we expect the answer to come, that problem fades away.
So, I’m asking you to place all expectations to the side as you pray this week. Ask, seek and knock, but then listen for the answer He has. Don’t listen for the only way you expect Him to fulfill your request. Ask Him to open your eyes and ears to be able to see His answer.

Seeking Hearts MInistries

Steadying Hands

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battles, burdens, Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, encouraging, encouragment, God of hope, God's eyes to see, healing, holding each other up, hope, hope in God, inspire one another, perspective, steadying hands

“Every time I faltered, God steadied me. It’s just that He used other people’s hands.” This was in the book I was finishing this morning, the morning after I had received an e-mail that a friend’s father had given up hope. Her father’s disease is not life threatening, but it is super serious in regards to quality of life. He has been given an opportunity to turn things around and is skeptical. (I totally get that. I was one of those who were born saying, “Are you really my momma?” Don’t judge, some of us are just wired that way.)

When I woke up this morning, before my head even rose from the pillow I was reminded of Exodus 17. I was reminded that there was a time in Moses’ life where he was beat down, exhausted and needed some brothers to hold his arms up for the ensuing battle. Exodus 17:9-12 says, “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

I knew in my heart of hearts that this was what I was called to do for my friend’s father. He was beat down. He had lost hope and was scared to hope again. But…now I know that I am called to hold one of his arms up for the ensuing battle. I’m going to e-mail my friend and see if she is willing to do the same.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that a cord of three strands is not easily broken and I often forget that. I’m honestly such a loner that I excuse myself from that verse by saying that the strand Solomon (the writer of Ecclesiastes) was talking about is God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In some cases it can be, but often I forget that my brother, or sister, in Christ really could use someone to raise their hands up. Notice I did not say that I should help them reach to me. I need to help them reach all the way up to the only True Hope…God Himself.

Lamentations 3:24 says, “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” We need to remind each other that our hope is the Lord, not what we expect Him to do, but the Lord Himself. Hope in something other than God is not sure, but hope in God is never wrong.

Sometimes, our arms grow tired and we need each other to help us reach out to our only True Source of strength and stability.We need each other, but often we turn away unconcerned that someone has lost hope. We think it’s just another casualty in this battle of life, sadly shake our head at their demise and pray it doesn’t happen to us. But, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to change our perspective. Let’s ask Him to give us His eyes to see those He would have us to encourage. Let’s look around in new determination and ask God today who needs their hands raised. There are many battles raging around us. Many have lost hope. Let’s see who we can inspire today.

O, God of all hope, we pray today that you would inspire each one of us to look around with Your eyes and see who You would have us to encourage. Give us wisdom in how to raise their hands for their particular battle. Help us to be Your mighty warriors, willing to go into someone else’s battle to help them come out victorious in Your Name. 

Seeking Hearts Ministries

Getting the Weight Off

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burdens, cast aside, encumbers, God's strength, weight, weight loss

At the beginning of a New Year most people will make a New Year’s Resolution. Many times that resolution will include something about weight loss. Oftentimes, we will look back at the Holiday Season and regret decisions that were made. Now, we must “pay the piper” and step on that scale. Sometimes, the New Year has even given us an excuse to indulge in certain foods, or behavior, which we normally wouldn’t allow simply because we know that we will put weight loss on our goal list and all will be well. The problem is (with me anyway) that sometimes the goal is ignored and the weight is still there in July! We forget in the heat of the moment how hard the weight is to come off. We forget the discipline it takes to “get it off and keep it off.” We like to indulge and not have to pay the price.

I’m coming to realize though that true weight loss really needs to be spiritual. We must ask ourselves, “What is weighing me down spiritually?” “What is keeping me from being active spiritually speaking?” “What have I allowed myself to indulge in last year that will now take a lot of discipline to let go of?”

Hebrews 12:1 says, “…let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” The KJV and the HCSB say, “…let us lay aside every weight…”

I know in my own life I have allowed lots of things to weigh me down over the years. Sometimes, the weight that I carried has been something as simple as a bad habit. Maybe I kept hitting the snooze button when I should have been on my knees with my Lord. Maybe I kept fussing at my family for things that were trivial. Maybe I simply wanted to be selfish and have things my way, but all of the trivial issues created a weight that I was not designed to carry.

Other times, the weight has been a little harder to deal with. This burden has often been unforgiveness, anxiety, worry, or stress over a situation. Sometimes, the weight has been a financial concern. This weight was a little heavier, so it took a bit longer to get rid of it. Discipline was required. More effort had to be exerted before the “goal weight” was achieved. Sometimes with this weight, I have even “boomeranged” and regained it, so the “diet” had to start again. New habits had to be formed long term.

Then, there have been times when the weight was so heavy I had no idea how to move (mentally, physically or spiritually) much less cast it off for good. In the past, this weight has been caused by grief…disappointment in God… and sometimes hurts so deep I didn’t know if I could breathe much less take the next step.

I’m sure that you can think of your own burdens as well, but how can they be dealt with? How can every weight, from the lightest to the heaviest, be gone for good? If Matthew 11:28-30 still says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light (and it does), how can I lay aside the weight that so burdens me and run the race that is set before me as Hebrews 12 describes?

I am learning that only through God’s Spirit in me can any weight come off. We are not designed to carry these burdens. We must get the heaviness off! Through this weight loss process, I am finding that His Word is absolutely true; not just for the preacher, but for me as well. I am finding that I can lay aside every weight and keep running the race that He has set before me. I am finding that through His Spirit all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Through His Spirit, I can know that only God can help me to stand (Romans 14:4b). Through His Spirit in me, I am learning that I not only can lay aside any burden, but I can run through a troop and leap over a wall as well (Psalm 18:29). I know that through His Spirit I can keep from slipping in any circumstance (Jude 22). I can also know that my thoughts can be kept in obedience to Christ on a regular basis (II Corinthians 10:5). I know these things because not only have I heard testimonies of others, but because He has worked these things in my own life. I know His Word is true! I know He is a faithful God. I know it because He has shown Himself to me personally and when I see God as He truly is, the weight drops off. I then realize that nothing is worth hindering my walk with Christ. His journey is perfect for me, so why would I risk slowing down the process?

I need you to know that I have never had to lift a burden off my shoulders that God was not right there bearing most (if not all) of the weight. I have never cast a weight aside that He was not right there faithfully cheering me on. I have never laid aside grief that His grace was not all sufficient to cover. I have never been left on my own to deal with something I made a mess of. That’s not our God. I don’t just wish it, I know it. You can too.

So, as we begin this New Year, may we remember what I Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” Through His strength, let’s throw the stuff off that’s been weighing us down. It might take work. It might take some discipline. It might take exercising the faith that Jesus Himself has placed in us, but let’s actually do it! Let’s weigh less this year than we ever have before!

Seeking Hearts Ministries