All Access Pass

“I have a backstage pass to the concert!” “We were able to get all access passes for the amusement park!” “The package included a pass to meet the conference main speaker!” These are all exciting to have. They give the holder a privilege that is usually limited to only a few. Most of us will live our whole lives never meeting anyone we would consider “famous”. Some of us have or will try, but not succeed. Only a few will attain those exclusive passes. However, what many Christians don’t remember is that we have been given the best pass ever. By having our sins forgiven and Christ’s righteousness imputed upon us, we have been given an all access pass to the throne room of God. We are invited to enter, and approach the throne of grace, boldly and with confidence! There is no problem too big or too small, to conversation too deep or too trivial for God. And He wants us to come. Why would I go to a concert, sit in the back, and leave early if I had a ticket that gave me a front row seat and the chance to meet the musician? I wouldn’t, no one would! So, I shouldn’t stand in the hall outside God’s throne room either. I need to accept this amazing privilege God has offered me, rejoice, and go in! This opportunity should excite each of us more than any other pass we may get in life. If you are a Christian, you have an all access pass into the throne room of God! Does that excite you?

Choosing

“The truth about the choices we make is plain. We don’t
consistently choose the Lord because we don’t really desire Him … and we don’t
really desire Him because we’re not convinced that choosing Him will result in
our happiness.” ~ Elyse Fitzpatrick

God's Faithfulness

Recently, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness. The fact
that He never leaves me, or forsakes me. He’s always there, even when other
people aren’t. He loves me unconditionally, regardless of how much or how
little I’m loving Him at any given time. God continues to love and hold me even
when my heart gets distracted by other things. His faithfulness is like no
other. Great is His faithfulness!

Kindness and Truth

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3

When I read this verse the other day, I stopped to ponder its meaning. We need to let kindness and truth invade our lives. They should be in everything we say and do. They should be what characterize us. And we are to do everything possible to not let them leave us. “Bind them around your neck”. This made me think of putting a necklace on. Kindness and truth should adorn and grace our lives like a beautiful necklace. This verse also says to “write kindness and truth on the tablet of your heart”. A couple of images came to mind when I read this. When I went to Israel, I had the opportunity to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and a tablet of stone with writing on it that proves Pontius Pilot lived. That stone and the scrolls have survived for centuries. They were meant to be permanent when they were written. Kindness and truth should be ingrained in us permanently as well. If a stone and scrolls with important writing can last centuries, kindness and truth should be able to last our lifetime. So write kindness and truth permanently on your heart and adorn your life with their beauty, and they will never leave you.

Psalm 122 Revisited

Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;
To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord—
An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For there thrones were set for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
“May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.


I posted this Psalm several weeks ago before I left on an exciting adventure that God had brought to me. I had the privilege of spending 11 days touring the land of the Bible, Israel. It was an amazing and incredible experience that has changed the way I read the Bible. I decided to come back to this Psalm, that so beautifully talks about Jerusalem. I cannot describe the joy of standing within the gates of this city that is indeed “compact”. I do give thanks to the name of the LORD for the opportunity He gave me, and I urge you to join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, both physically and spiritually. It is a city that is filled with people who need the salvation that only Jesus Christ can offer.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Saturday Psalm ~ 10-30-2010

Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;
To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord—
An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For there thrones were set for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
“May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

Saturday Psalm ~ 10-2-2010

Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Psalm 24:8

God is … the King of glory, strong and mighty.

Saturday Psalm ~ 9-25-2010

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
Psalm 23:1

God is … my shepherd.

Trusting God

Carolyn Mahaney was asked: “If you could parent your daughters all over again what would you do differently?” Her answer was:

“I wish I had trusted God more. For every fearful peek into the future, I wish I had looked to Christ instead. For each imaginary trouble conjured up, I wish I had recalled the specific, unfailing faithfulness of God. In place of dismay and dread, I wish I had exhibited hope and joy.”

While I am not faced with raising children at present, I was encouraged by this quote. Each of us, no matter what our season of life, has times when we look at the future and wonder what it holds. We often have fears and what if’s. It’s good to be reminded to trust God. And,

For every fearful peek into the future, look to Christ instead.
For each imaginary trouble, recall the specific, unfailing faithfulness of God.
And replace dismay and dread with hope and joy.
Trust God.

Saturday Psalm ~ 8-28-2010

You are holy.
Psalm 22:3a

God is … holy.

Saturday Psalm ~ 8-21-2010

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:14

God is … my rock and my redeemer.

Saturday Psalm ~ 8-14-2010

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation.
Psalm 18:46

God is … my rock and the God of my salvation.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-31-2010

For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God.
Psalm 18:31

God is … the LORD and a rock.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-17-2010

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.
Psalm 18:3

God is … worthy to be praised.

Saturday Psalm ~ 7-3-2010

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:2

God is … my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God,

my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.

No Vacancies!

“A heart that is truly guarded must have no vacancies -- no empty spaces that need to be filled, no voids that leave open places and room for the enemy to get in. When God asks for our heart, He asks for all of it. He wants to fill every part with Himself. He completes us. Only when we are satisfied in Him will we be able to selflessly give our lives for others. We need to put up a sign that says ‘No Vacancies’. Except we don’t need a sign - others will notice simply by our lives. They can see if our heart has voids and is unfulfilled, seeking attention from others, or if we are filled with Jesus, overflowing with love and joy, and seeking to spread His light everywhere we go.” ~ Sarah Mally

Saturday Psalm ~ 6-26-2010

"I love You, O LORD, my strength."

Psalm 18:1

God is ... my strength!

Saturday Psalm ~ 6-12-2010

I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:8

God is … at my right hand.

Recommended Reading Review ~ A Woman after God's Own Heart

A Woman after God’s Own Heart
By Elizabeth George

God called David a man after His own heart. What an amazing description! Wouldn’t you love to be described as such? In her book, A Woman after God’s Own Heart, Elizabeth George encourages women to become just what the title says. The chapters of this book are filled with Biblical, practical advice and instruction on living with God first and at the center of our lives. Mrs. George helps the reader see that there are priorities in life and that they need to be in order. When all these priorities are in their proper order, with God always the number one priority, life runs smoothly and God is glorified in our daily lives. A Woman after God’s Own Heart is a book that every Christian woman should read. Whether single or married, we can apply the principles in Mrs. George’s book, and become women after God’s own heart.

Saturday Psalm ~ 6-5-2010

The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
Psalm 16:5

God is … the portion of my inheritance and my cup.