Monthly Archives: September 2009

The Lord is My Refuge

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But let all those who who take refuge and put their trust in you rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy…   Psalm 5:11

Lord is my refuge

God designed us with feelings to be able to monitor our environment.  He also gives us the wisdom to learn from our mistakes and failures.  This wisdom can be used alongside our feelings so that we will not get trapped in unhealthy relationships or stay in dangerous or unsafe places.

When we take refuge in the Lord and trust in Him, He will direct us to a safe place, and we will know it is the right place by a sense of His love and peace.

We can live a life of trusting in the Lord and living in purpose instead of need.  When we turn our lives over to Him, He knows our needs;  He is the Good Shepherd who will guide us to green pastures or a place of safety where all our needs are met.

God wants you to dwell in His love in a safe environment where love is flowing.  God is love, and if He is present in a person’s life, love will flow from them.  Out of an unmet need for acceptance, many times we will choose to remain in unsafe places just to get one trickle of acceptance, while all the other more-important needs are overlooked.

Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord, is your provider.  He will provide everything you have need of if you will trust Him.  If you are in harms way, don’t remain in unsafe places but rather take refuge in the Lord, under the shelter of His protection.

In Psalm 5:11, David asks God for joyful and high spirits to be given to all those who love the name of the Lord and put their trust in His Name.  We must not give up or give in and fall into the trap of self-pity.  If you find that you have fallen into this trap, you can get out quickly by repenting for not trusting in the Lord.   Then begin praising the Name of the Lord. The songs of praise will precede your victory.

Written by Denise Boggs.

God Uses Broken Things

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“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

GodWe can look at Scripture and be assured that God uses all things, even the broken pieces of our lives.  He will carefully hold each piece in His hand until just the right time, and then He uses it for good to help someone else.  After we have been healed of painful hurts and then repent for our own sinful responses, our testimony of God’s redemption is complete.

Before repentance, we tend to blame others or live in denial, thinking we do not have any problems.  It’s as if we have pure water flowing from our lips and they have muddy water coming from theirs.  After being healed we can begin to see our sinful responses and how they have hurt the one who hurt us, as well as others around us over whom we have influence.  It is during the process of repentance that our pride is broken and we can clearly see our own sin.

It was not until Jacob’s natural strength was broken, when “his hip was wrenched” (Gen. 32:25) at Peniel, that he came to the point where God anointed him with spiritual strength.

Once the poor and humble widow broke the seal on her only remaining jar of oil and began to pour, God miraculously multiplied the oil to pay her debts and thereby supplied her means of support (2 Kings 4:1-7).  All her needs were met because God used what had been broken.

Once Jesus took “the five loaves…and broke them” (Luke 9:16), the bread was multiplied to feed the five thousand.  It was through the very process of the loaves being broken that the miracle occurred.

Once Mary broke her beautiful “alabaster jar of very expensive perfume” (Matt. 26:7), the true value was revealed.  God uses broken things. Humbly take every broken piece of your life and give it the Lord.  Don’t try to glue it, fake it or fix it; simply release it.

Now, trust in Him to pass His hand over every broken piece of your life and use every piece.  Trust and wait on Him to turn all things around and use them for your good.  Stay humble before the Lord and He will lift you up.

Written by Denise Boggs

Take the High Way

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God’s ways are higher than our ways. Have you ever stopped to think that if you are trusting in what you see with the natural eye or your own abilities you are living in a lower level than where God intended for you to live? His way of life is much higher than your way of life and standard of living.

In comparison, your standard of living is as backwards as living back in the day when the weekly trip to the grocery store was made in a horse and wagon. Back then they couldn’t fathom flying across country in a few hours. In the buggy days they could only go as high as their hands could reach, or as hard as their hands could work.

In spiritual things, you need to check and see if you are living life as if you were back in the buggy days. God’s ways and principles for living are higher than our ways, and His ways make it possible for every believer to live in a better place. You cannot trust your tiny mind to comprehend what God has planned for you. You simply listen to His voice as He is calling you upward.

God’s plan and purpose for Moses took him up the mountain and what He has planned for your life will take you up to a higher place too. God’s plan for you is so great that your mind can not wrap around it, you can only grasp it with your spirit and the road that will take you there is an unseen road that is much higher than the natural road that you see.

You can only rely on His Way; the High Way and His voice that you hear by the spirit,   “This is the Way walk ye in it.” You can trust His Way; the Highway that will take you to the destination He has planned for you.

Written by Denise Boggs.

Watch God Work

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PrayerGod’s Word does not return to Him void! His Word will accomplish what He sent it to planet earth to accomplish.

Twenty five years ago I was given a scripture based prayer and encouraged to pray it diligently for each family member. At the time my husband and I only had one daughter, so that seemed do-able. I printed the prayer out, placed it in my Bible and prayed it every day, with my husband and daughter’s name in the prayer.

As I read this prayer today, in the Amplified version, I was amazed at how this simple prayer had been answered. I would like to encourage you to take this scripture prayer that Paul wrote in Colossians and pray it out loud daily, inserting each family member’s name as you pray. You will not be praying your opinion or thoughts for them, but God’s will. Then all you do is stand back and watch God work in their lives.

Twenty five years later, my husband and I have often been asked how we were able to raise three children who love the Lord and have never rebelled. I believe with all my heart this scripture based prayer answers that question.

“Since the day I heard it, I have not ceased to pray for ( husband/ wife/ child’s name) that he/she will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That (husband/wife / child’s name) _will walk worthy of the Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of Christ” (Colossians 1:9-11 paraphrased).

This is the Amplified version of Paul’s prayer:

Verse 9 – “For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make [special] request for you, [asking] that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear) knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom [in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God] and in understanding and discernment of spiritual things.

Verse 10 – That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition.

Verse 11 – We pray that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy” (Colossians 1: 9-11).

Written by Denise Boggs.

Holding on in Times of Trouble

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“Peace I leave with you…”John 14: 27

In my quiet time this morning I realized Jesus gave instructions how to hold on in a time of trouble.  He said in John 14:27, to stay in peace.  He left us with His peace to grab hold of and hold on to it; His very own peace.  Imagine that, He took the peace He had while here on earth; the peace that covered Him and kept Him resting during times of trouble.  He knew the cross was ahead of Him but, He remained in peace.

He didn’t get fearful-  He remained steadfast and unmovable always abounding in the will of His Father.  This peace was like a warm blanket, once His work on earth was completed.  He no-longer needed it, but, He knew we would need it so He gave it to us.

How do you maintain and hold on to this peace?

You first receive peace as a gift from the Lord; a wonderful gift that you hold on to.  You must be conscious where it is; think about it this way, whatever is important to you, you know where it is at all times.

For instance, where is your cell phone right now? is it beside you?  Most of us know where our cell phone is because it helps us get through our day.  If I leave mine at home, I turn around and go back and get it.  The peace of the Lord is far more important; don’t leave home in the morning without it.  Get up early and spend time with the Lord, as you spend time in His presence, His peace will rest upon you.

Written by Denise Boggs.