Zoom Lense

I have often written about the topic of focus. Where we need to focus to have a healthy relationship with God and others. To keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. However, this morning the Lord put on my heart to take another look at this topic. Focusing is not only where we cast our eyes, it is also like a zoom lens. We can focus tightly in on something or pull back and see a full panoramic view. Oftentimes, we get so focused in on something happening that we lose sight of the big picture. 

I'm an artist and it is crucial to stand back and get a wide lens view of a piece that I'm working on. So often I can get engrossed with a tight focus as I'm working on a painting. If I don't step back, I won't get the proper perspective, composition, balance of values... 

This is a definition of value from Google: 

"In art, value means the lightness or darkness of a color, tone, or area. It is one of the core elements of art and is separate from the actual color (hue). Key Uses of Value: Creating Depth, shifts from light to dark, makes flat shapes look round and three-dimensional. Guiding the Eye: High contrast (placing very light elements next to very dark ones) creates a focal point that draws the viewer’s attention. Setting the Mood: Soft, light values can feel open and calm, while heavy, dark values can feel dramatic or mysterious. Value Scale: Artists use a step-by-step grayscale gradient—ranging from pure white to pitch black—to measure and plan their tones.

The balance or unbalance of value and your painting can either bring a settled peaceful feeling to the viewer or it can bring a disturbed feeling of unbalance. 

The key to creating this in your painting is to be able to zoom out and let the painting speak to you in it's entirety. Detail is important but overall composition is what draws the viewer in."

This concept can be perfectly applied to our lives. Do we have balance? Do we have healthy insight? Are we able to zoom out of situations creating a distance for a broader point of view? Can we zoom in and see our behavior in a situation and take responsibility for it? By asking and allowing God to do this in your life, It opens up a whole new viewpoint and growth pattern. It enables us to mature so that we can not only take responsibility for ourselves but we can also extend grace to other people just like Christ did for us. Taking a wider view allows us to see how a situation is affecting everyone and not just us.

Years ago I read a metaphor written by a new age author. (Although I do not adopt that philosophy at all, I know that we can glean wisdom from many things. Yet, salvation is only found in Jesus Christ). Anyway, the author produced an image of four people coming from four different paths upon a cobra. The first was a mother with her child and upon seeing the snake she clutched her child up close to her, turned and ran. The second was a snake charmer. He pulled out his instrument and began to mesmerize the snake and make it dance. He received joy from that and then he carried on. The third person was a scientist. This person studied reptiles. Those that were harmless and those that were poisonous. He observed the snake as he made sketches and took notes. Then he went on his way. The fourth person was not experienced in this land. He was bitten by the snake but someone came along and got him to treatment so he wouldn't die. The moral of the story is that there was only one situation but four different viewpoints. One learned caution and fear while another learned playfulness and joy. The third learned knowledge and the fourth learned to be aware. 

What I took away from this story was that there can be a problem between two people or two groups of people. There's one problem, one situation but everyone has a different viewpoint. We as humans cannot fix things because we're also dealing with pride... Only God can see the beginning the middle and the end. Only God can see each heart. And it's only the love of God that can teach us to forgive. When we have a situations where there is unrest and battles between factions, it would do us well to step back and open the lens of our heart wide to see how everyone is feeling. Broaden our view to see what God says through his word and his actions as to how we should posture our hearts, calm our minds and act. We can also zoom in and look at the micro expressions on people's faces and see pain that we couldn't see from a distance. Anger roots from hurt, fear and frustration (Dr. Phil quote :) The two biggest pains in life are rejection and betrayal. How could we ever see what God wants if our view is through a lens of pain and anger. 

Settle down, talk to God honestly and I mean honestly. Scream, cry, kick... I encourage you to read the book of Habakkuk in the Old testament. In his shorts three chapters he shows us how to be brutally honest with God as we cry out why, why, why! Then, God basically tells him to journal what he's going to tell him. The third chapter shows us that Habakkuk went from a man who was devastated, hurting, confused, angry, to a man who settled into a heart of joy as he trusted God with the whole situation and with the future. 

In closing, what I'm trying to share is an insight that we should not lock our eyes and hearts in stubbornness. We should adjust our perspective and be open to what God sees in the whole thing. We can sit in it for a long time as we wallow in our pride and demands. Or, we can surrender to "the One", Jesus, who surrendered his life for our sins. Why do we find it so hard to do for others what Christ did for us.

Is God "in" the way or is he "The Way"?

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 

This morning I was meditating on this scripture. I realized that we possess zero holiness. The only holiness that we have is Christ in us. As we walk through life we have to let Jesus make the way. We need to follow him so that his presence always goes before us. We must constantly learn his beautiful ways of love and allow those lessons to transform us into his likeness through his Holy Spirit. 

Sometimes though, when situations get out of control and our feelings become overwhelming and hot, we tend to think that God is in our way. He's just too slow!!! We want to push him aside and go tell that person exactly how we feel as we plead our case. We want our words and feelings to bring about justice, fast. However, that's not how it works. If we choose to make Jesus "the way", rather than choosing our way, then we will walk in holiness because he is what people see rather than our emotions and irrational actions. We allow the Lord to restrain us and we stand behind him so that we walk in the fragrance of his love, grace, mercy, patience and wisdom.

We cannot be holy on our own. We must crave the humility of Christ to be alive in us. Asking him daily to strike down our self-righteousness. In Ephesians 4:2, it says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."  He is holy and if we have him in our heart and allow him as our Lord to stand before us, as his Holy Spirit indwells us. Then, the Father will see us through him, our neighbors, friends, family and even our enemies we'll see the beauty of Christ in us. That is when lives are changed.

I think good advice would be that before we speak or act we take a step back. We invite the Lord to stand in front of us. We should ask him to awaken the beautiful gifts that his Spirit inhabits us with ; Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Then, no matter what the circumstance, everyone will see the holiness and love of God displayed through us.

It's true that God's justice comes slowly. I was praying one day and he told me, "I'm not changing toilet paper rolls here, I'm changing hearts. And, stubborn, self-righteous hearts to boot."  :)  In our anger and confusion we so often plead our case to God that we are right and they are wrong. But I promise you if you slow down and take your emotions out of it, asking God to reveal his kind of Love to You, he will do it. It takes a lot of surrendering on our part. It takes patience, humility ect... But then that moment will come. You will see yourself at the foot of the cross and what he did for you and you will realize in that moment that's what we are called to do for others. Jesus, who is the only one that had the right to be exalted, humbled himself.

It says in Exodus 14:14, that the battle is not ours but the Lord's. He goes before us and fights our battles and we are called to just be still and know that he is God. Whatever this life brings toward you be sure to jump behind Jesus and trust. Don't push him aside and allow your emotions to react. Think of what a beautiful image it is to have your King standing before you and you are confidently standing behind him in the wake of his love and power. Put down your weapons of words, self-righteousness, anger... And take upon yourself the Spirit of love. If Jesus could do it for you, then, you have no excuse for not loving and forgiving.

P.S. Forgiving doesn't mean that you have to be present around someone who has abused you. Forgiveness with boundaries is wise.

"No weapon formed against you will prosper."  Isaiah 54:17.

Practical Preparedness

You want to know how amazing God is? I woke up yesterday morning and during my devotional time this particular scripture stood out, "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? I thought to myself that I could just keep reading but something encouraged me to pick this scripture apart and look at it more closely. I began to meditate on it and soon I recalled a memory: [The catastrophic collapse of the San José copper-gold mine in Chile occurred on August 5, 2010, trapping 33 miners approximately 2,300 feet (700 meters) underground. The workers were stranded for exactly 69 days before being safely rescued on October 13, 2010.For the first 17 days, the miners were entirely cut off from the surface with unknown fates until a drill broke through and a note was discovered confirming they had survived in an emergency shelter. An international rescue operation was then launched, leading to their eventual extraction.]

Can you even imagine being trapped deep inside the earth for 69 days! Seventeen of which you had no hope of even knowing that someone knew you were there, if they were coming to rescue or if you were just going to be buried alive! It's said that the faith of a few men kept them hoping. 

Even when buried in darkness whether physically, emotionally or mentally We always have a hope as Christians. The Lord is our light and our salvation - whom shall I fear? Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). The word of God, which is Christ himself is our light and our hope. 

The level of despair and the unknown of whether the rescue of these workers would cause a collapse or even be successful must have been a level of stress and anxiety that few of us know. Two men stood out as leaders and encouragers [1. Luis Urzúa (The Organizational Leader)His Role: As the shift foreman, Luis Urzúa is widely credited with saving the men's lives by keeping them unified and organized.How He Encouraged Them: During the first 17 days when the world thought they were dead, he used a strict democratic voting system to maintain order. He rationed their tiny two-day supply of food so it lasted over two weeks, mapped out the tunnels for structure, and kept the men focused on survival rather than panic.The Ultimate Captain: True to his leadership role, he was the 33rd and final miner to be rescued from the depths.2. José Henríquez (The Spiritual Encourager)His Role: Nicknamed "The Pastor," Henríquez was a drill master and evangelical preacher who became the emotional and spiritual anchor for the group.How He Encouraged Them: He kept morale high by leading the men in prayer twice every day. He used his deep faith to counsel the miners through crushing anxiety and fear, reminding them to hold onto hope when everything seemed impossible.]

The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? A stronghold is a highly defended, secure place of refuge, protection, or safety. In the scariest most unpredictable places, we are called to believe in God's word. No matter what the outcome, he is with us through it all. He is surrounding us, and under his wing we have refuge. 

What happened to me next was nothing compared to what these minors went through but it gave me an insight into this scripture. During my devotional in the morning the winds were kicking up and becoming extremely strong. Soon they became violent and You could feel the whole house shaking and branches flying off of trees and hitting the house. It was relentless and it wouldn't give up. Soon it was ripping huge trees out by the roots and they were falling in our yard. Two of the trees took down the electrical wires by the road. We called the electric company but it was going to be a long time before anyone came. We had no electricity and it was dusk so we scrambled for our emergency supplies, batteries and set up some emergency lighting around the house. We called a friend of ours who literally got in his truck during the storm and came over and helped us get the generator started.

On a much smaller level the Lord was our light and salvation last night. I kept my eyes on him and not the storm as I trusted him and he in turn gave me peace. I looked at my home as The stronghold of the Lord. A highly defended secure place of refuge, protection and safety. I didn't trust in the structure but I trusted that God's mighty wing was over us.

I encourage everyone of you to know the word of God. Spend time reading it and memorizing it. Write it down and post it around your house. Because when things get scary It usually comes upon us fast and furiously. During earthquakes which I am fully experienced in because I lived in California for years. You realize there is nothing that is secure when you're going through one. All you have is God. What used to be solid, stable and reliable suddenly looks fluid. Just like drowning, your hands just go through the water and there's nothing to stabilize you. God's word is solid, it is the light in our darkness, it is our salvation, our stronghold and our hope. Please don't wait until something fearful and unstable happens in your life. Store up the treasures of God in your heart and in your mind now. So that when you fall it will be into his arms and you will know that you can survive it because of his grace, mercy and love. His word, his promises, his character and attributes will be pillars that will hold you up when you feel like crumbling. 

Isaiah 43:2, ""When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

Insight: Our enemy the devil knows that he cannot convince people that there is no God because it's very clear in Romans chapter 1 that God has given evidence all around us of his existence and that no man has any excuse to not believe. So the enemies tactic is to convince us that there's no hurry. To put off reading the Bible, to not store up God's powerful promises and proclamations in our hearts and minds.... Do not be fooled!

Draw near to God now and he will draw near to you. James 4:8.

Prisms through Tears

I may have written about this before but it's worth repeating. We were on vacation in Mammoth California one time and we were all excited to go hiking the next day. However, we woke up to a rainy day. Just like rain can keep you from the majesty of heightened senses by keeping you indoors. Tears can blind us from God's blessings and joy when we withdraw.

We made a decision that morning to venture out anyway. It ended up being the most spectacular day! The rain had made the rocks shine with all the colors in them. You know when you take a regular rock and it just looks dry and kind of ugly but then you put water on it and you can see it's glory. It's the same thing on our days of tears. We can stay hidden in our sorrow but if we choose to see God in our situation it's the same as when the rain falls upon the rocks. The rain makes the dry earth look like a rich myriad of browns against the soaked leaves that are now glittering from the raindrops. The rocks reveal all the hidden colors in them and the smell of the rain in our senses makes everything seem alive. We can have that same experience when we look through our tears.

What we experienced that day was magnificent. We made a choice to see past the rain. We looked beyond what we thought was a hindrance. Just like when we feel down or depressed we can make a choice. We can focus on our sorrow or we can focus on the anointing from God through our tears. Through our tears God's promises and blessings become more clear and alive.  We are choosing where we are going to put our focus. A day that can seem dull and dark can become vibrant if we focus on God. In that stillness, if we seek him in it,  he will reveal the hidden blessings, no matter what our circumstances are. 

In our busyness when we feel energetic we can bypass the beautiful things that God bestows on us. The deeper things are revealed through tears. The deeper beauty and richness of his love for us is clearer. By choosing to focus on God in those times it enables us to see his comfort, his kind and gentle presence, his ability to bring beauty out of ashes...

I recently realized that I never really knew how to rest. I only knew fight or flight and that kept me in a constant wired state in my nervous system. I just came through a dark time and I sought God which enabled me to see his light, his love and his comfort. I allowed those insights to teach me how to be strengthened in my faith and to truly learn how to rest in him. I learned how to be kind to my parasympathetic nervous system. I actually learned how to see myself like God sees me. Through a lens of kindness and gentleness. We so often allow shame and guilt to rob us of the blessing of rest. This time though, I embraced that beautiful insight from God and just like the rain brought out all the colors of nature, he revealed his beautiful character in my life. I rebuked negative thinking and negative words and begin to speak his powerful words over me. I knew scripture very well but he showed me that there's a difference between having it in your head and allowing him to make it come alive in your heart. 

I encourage you to see your tears as rain. Let them open up prisms of God's light. As he lets his light shine through your tears you will be able to see colors and depths of his character and love that you would never be able to see in the absence of tears. Allow him to reveal to you the beauty that is hidden in our sorrows. The most incredible gift from God is to be able to praise him not just on the sunny days but also on the tearful days. 

He knows sorrow and suffering on a level that we will never understand. But what comfort it brings when we are in that state knowing with full assurance that the man of sorrows sits with us to comfort us.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God". 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Prayers In Darkness

Just like a child who is outside playing with friends, riding their bike, skipping rope, playing ball... Then, all of a sudden a storm arises. The sky turns black, the winds pick up and the rain starts coming down hard. We as adults sometimes experience the same scenario.  We're going along feeling perky and happy and next thing we know, a cloud of depression moves in, someone we love gets sick or passes away, we contract a flu virus... And just like that our sunny day turns dark. Our skipping and playing turns into soreness and sadness. What do we do? 

If something happens where we can realize an endpoint, that can give us hope, because we know that whatever's happening is going to end. We cling with all of our strength to God and his promises and when the momentary trial comes to an end we feel good that we didn't lose our faith. 

However, there are times when the trial is not momentary and our faith weakens. We become weary and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Has God left us? If we depend on our emotions then it could absolutely feel like he has left us! But if we depend on his promises then we know that there's no way he would ever leave us. 

Matthew 11:28-30, " “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

2 Corinthians 4:16-18, " Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Lamentations 3:20-25, "My soul is downcast within me. But this I call to mind,

    and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

    “therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

    to the soul who seeks him." 

There will come times when our natural energy or optimism will not be enough for us. We will have to lean heavily on God the Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit. God's promises will be the mast that we cling to when the storm hits us and we are in the middle of a sea of turmoil in complete darkness. 

I encourage you not to let life hit you like a bunch of bricks falling from the sky but to be prepared. Read your Bibles and highlight and rewrite scriptures in your journals that the Holy Spirit speaks to you through. Let them comfort you and pass them forward to those that you know are going through something. 

Anguish is such a spiky and poisonous word. No one wants to go near it or have any part of it. But sometimes we are called to go through things. Jesus went before us and like I said he will be with us through everything. Don't lose heart. 

1 Peter 4:12, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you." 

Not only am I going through this right now but I can think of quite a few people as far as Christian friends and acquaintances that are experiencing this darkness and at even a much deeper level. This is not even to mention the stories that I read on social media. People are suffering and not just what I spoke about above but terrible persecutions around the world. I'm sorry this all sounds like such a downer but we are called to pray for one another. Pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ, pray for the unsaved and what they're going through without having a Savior to lean on. Pray for your enemies because hurt people, hurt people. Pray for a hurting and lost world.

Psalm 34:18-19, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all. "

Psalm 91:4, "He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge; his truth shall be your shield and rampart. 

Praise God for his divine protection, comfort, hope, faithfulness and love.

Ecclesiastes 1:3-8, "there is a time for every season.."

The sun comes out after every storm.

The Heist

When we receive a blessing or a complete transformation from God it is like a precious valuable treasure. We pray and pray for God to give us a change in our life but when we finally receive it we forget to guard it. So many times I've received blessings or deliverance from God but did not protect it. It was stolen by the enemy. In this world with Satan prowling and seeking to devour, destroy and steal we must be on guard constantly. Guarding those precious things that God gives us. We must discipline ourselves and train ourselves to be guards, to be gatekeepers of the precious gifts he bestows on us. 

Matt 6:18-21, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 Peter 5:8, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 

Philippians 4:7, " And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

Colossians 3:16, 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

John1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Brothers and sisters, treasure the Word of God that is stored in your hearts. Do not let the enemy come and snatch it away! Has God taught you a precious lesson through a hard time? Guard that lesson. Has God blessed you with a second chance? Guard that second chance! Stay close to the Lord and store up these treasures. Guard them, for they are eternal gems from the God of the universe. Stay alert and walk in the wisdom of God daily. 

Worrying does not Glorify God

I have been writing a lot about the topic of worrying. Right now I would like to take it from theory to practice. Last night I submitted myself to God and asked him if I was practicing what I was preaching. I quickly realized that, although, I was getting better at trusting and praising God over worrying - He pointed out that as human beings we are driven by our feelings, our state of mental and physical health and also by environmental influences. We are never going to be perfect at anything in this life. We can only desire and strive to have HIM perfected IN us.

The last few days when I wasn't feeling very well, I fell into a gully of self-pity. I found myself falling back to my old ways and begging him to help in a situation that has been a heavy burden on my heart and mind.

My worrying affected my belief system which caused me to experience all the things that come attached to worrying!!! Emotions and thoughts like fear, anxiety, panic, sadness, grief, doubt, darkness, despair, vexation, fretting, etc. 

Is that the mindset and heart set that God wants us to be in? No, it is not! That is the mindset and heart set that Satan wants us to be in! Satan loves it when we are worrying. But, you know what he hates? He hates praise. He hates it when we trust God and give God glory before we see any results. When you read through the New testament what does Jesus say the most? He praises people for their faith. For believing before they even see. For trusting that he's in the boat when the storm is all around. Jesus loves when we believe him.

So, this morning instead of crying my prayers, I stood up, raised my hands and I praised him. I smiled and expressed gratitude that he is in control of everything! I thanked him that I don't have to worry because he has a plan! I felt the rhythm of my heart change immediately. Then, I realized, this is what we are supposed to be showing and telling the world! That he overcomes our fears and our worries. That he is faithful and good. He is just and his timing is perfect. That not only is he mighty and powerful but he is kind and gentle, all-knowing, all-loving, all-present! How can others see Christ in us If all we're showing the world is our worrying instead of our believing!

Let's encourage each other to take the focus off of ourselves and put it on him. He will heal us, he will work things out for our good, he will comfort us, he will go before us and fight for us, He will work in the lives of those we love... All of these promises are written in The Bible! That's why it's so important that we read God's Word.

It says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

If we are faithful to do that and to trust in him then our worrying will turn to praise. He will be glorified and others will see his greatness and strength in our weaknesses. And that's what being a Christian is all about. It's about taking the spotlight off of our worries (doubting, unbelief...) and displaying God's power and love in our life instead.

Worrying is doubt and self-pity. Whereas, trusting is believing and glorifying God. When God is glorified, peoples  lives are changed and souls are saved.

Ask God to clean out anything that is blocking his light from shining through you onto others.

Praise or Panic

"Worrying is worshiping the problem. You make your problem bigger than God. Trust, rest and be still as you wait for God to work things out. Stop sacrificing the peace that God gives you at the altar of worrying." 

When We worry We Are putting everyone's attention on us and our feelings. God wants us not to worry and to trust him. That way everyone's attention is on him and he receives the glory. Not only does that bless those around us when we go through something hard but it also blesses us when we praise instead of panic. Praising God before the blessing is the faith that he wants others to see in us and it's the joy and peace that he wants us to live in. We are partakers of our Fathers blessings, not beggars.

Matthew 6:25-27 NIV

[25]  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? [27] Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV): "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Psalm 55:22 (NIV): "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."