Because I said so!

Oh how many times have we heard that phrase? Or better yet; how many times have we ourselves said it? Though it isn't heard, that phrase packs a deeper meaning. How it can be better translated is "Because I LOVE you!"

I love how God speaks and shows me aspects of His character in just day to day life. This morning, while the girls were running around and playing I was getting the house clean and had just finished mopping the kitchen floor. I went upstairs for just a moment to grab something and as I came down the stairs I saw Jedidiah just about to run into the kitchen. The just mopped kitchen. The just mopped kitchen with a slippery wet floor. Immediately I yelled "STOP!" Now, let's back up just a few minutes prior. The girls are running around playing. They're laughing and having fun, tickling each other and thankfully not getting into trouble. Ok so fast forward to me yelling..."STOP!" Jedidiah didn't hesitate; she stopped right in her tracks just at the edge where the carpet and tile meet. Whew...that could have been a nasty fall. I thanked her for obeying and told her the floor was wet and if she had continued she would've fallen and hurt herself.

God spoke to me just then. He said, "that is how I am. That is My love and protection over you. If you would just trust Me and obey Me even when you don't understand why, you'll be blessed." Well that's a slap in the face! But you know it's so true. God has given us commands just like the command I gave Jedidiah when I yelled Stop. Those commands were given not because God wants to keep us from having fun but because He loves us and wants to protect us. I wasn't trying to keep Jedidiah from having fun, but rather I wanted to protect her because I love her and don't want her to get hurt. But in that very moment I wasn't able to explain to her that the floor was wet and that she could fall. If I had taken the time to explain that, she would've already slipped and fallen. Instead, I just needed her to stop even if she didn't understand why in that moment. Say for instance you see your child running towards a busy street. Would you calmly explain the reasons why he couldn't run into the street and give a list of the consequences at that moment then wait for him to respond out of obedience? Absolutely not! You'd yell "STOP!" and you'd desire your child to obey because you love him and don't want him to be hurt. Then after obedience has been displayed you can explain the list of reasons.

The same is true with the Lord. He loves us and cares for us. His commands are for protection. We are to obey Him even when we don't understand why. Our response to obey and trust Him should come from a place of love. Knowing that He first loved us so therefore we love and honor Him with our obedience and trust. God tells us do not lie, always speak the truth. Why? Because God hates a lie and loves the truth, and the truth will always set you free. Lies keep you in bondage and get you all tangled up. God delights in truth and blesses those who speak truthfully. But lying lips are an abomination to the Lord and He says those who lie are wicked and deceitful. It's written all over Psalms and Proverbs.

God says don't go into debt. Now that just took away a bit of fun for those who like to "shop now-pay later...way way later." But why? Because you will always be a slave if you're in debt. (Pr 22:7) You'll be enslaved to the lender and God didn't send Jesus to die on the cross so that we could remain as slaves! God wants His children not only free from sin and bondage but free from financial slavery as well! Now I want to be clear on this, I'm not talking about true emergencies that arise and have to be placed on an emergency credit card. God is speaking about deliberate careless spending. All we have is from the Lord; this includes our money, and God says in Matt 23:25 that when we are faithful with little that He will then put us in charge of much...He's telling us to be a good steward of what He gives us. It's because He loves us, wants to protect us and wants to give us more of it.

God says do not hate but love one another. Well that's a protection over our own heart. The word says to guard your heart, your heart, I repeat YOUR heart with all diligence for out of it springs up the issues of life. (Proverbs 4) Have you ever met a person with a nasty attitude who spoke bitterly about everything? Most likely at some point in time they allowed offense to attach themselves to their heart and hate began to build and take over to the point that hate is what spills out of their heart onto everything in their life. The word says that out of the abundance of the heart or the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. Are we obeying God's command to keep our heart free of hate and rather love one another? We cannot control the things that others say or do to us but we can control how our heart deals with it. God loves us and desires to protect us so He says to love one another and not hate.

The list goes on and on. God is the God of love. He loves His children and craves to see us succeed but the choice to obey Him is ours. He's placed commands of protection in place, not commands to kill our joy or spoil our fun. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9) He sees the end from the beginning and is all knowing!(Isa 46:10)He loves us, He loves us, oh how He loves us! Let us obey Him...because He said so!

Father, I thank you for Your love. I am so grateful for Your protection over our lives and the commands You've put in place as a safe-guard for us. God You are beyond compassionate and full of grace towards us. I pray my heart, as well as the hearts of those who are reading, to be sensitive to Your voice. Father may we please You with our obedience and have full trust in You and Your word which is our road map for life. Father forgive us when we've disobeyed and teach us to be obedient even when we don't understand, simply because You've said so. Help us rely on You and You alone. I praise you God for You alone are good and You're worthy of all the glory. In Jesus name Amen!

Safe!

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

When I was younger I loved to play outside with my friends. One of my favorite games was hide and seek. We all know the game right? One person closes their eyes and counts while the others find a hiding place. When the seeker stops counting they open their eyes and start looking for everyone. There are two objectives to the game: First; the seeker's goal is to find as many people as possible and tag them so they're out of the game. Secondly; the hider's goal is to either hide so well they cannot be found by the seeker or if they are spotted; to run quickly to "base," the safe place, so they're not tagged. Our safe place was either a tree or a spot on the driveway. If you could make it to this place without being tagged and yell "safe!" then the seeker could not touch you; even if he was standing right in front of you. As long as you were at that safe place no one could touch you.

Proverbs 18:10 assures us that the Lord is our strong tower (a place of refuge) and when we run to Him we are safe and I truly believe that means we'll be safe from all evil and in all situations. Psalm 91:9 says "Because you have made the Lord God your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil will befall you or any plague or calamity come near your tent. (or household-your dwelling place)

Not only is the Lord our strong tower and place of safety, but He's also our hiding place. Psalm 17:8 says "Keep me as the apple of Your eye, hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me."

Psalm 32:7 "You are my hiding place, You shall preserve me from trouble, You shall surround me with songs of deliverance."

Psalm 31:20 is referring to the previous verse about the person who fears the Lord and who trusts in Him; and it says; "You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence. From the plots of man, You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues."

There may be situations in your life right now that are frightening; either a job loss, a negative medical report or even trouble in your marriage has come your way and you fear the days to come. You may feel the enemy is seeking you to "tag" you and take you out of the game. But God is your strong tower, your hiding place and your safe place in time of trouble. In Him there is safety. In Him there is security. No matter the situation, God has a promise that we can always take hold of and stand on. If you call on the name of the Lord and run to Him He will hide you and keep you in safety.But you must first turn your attention to Him. You can't run towards something that you're not looking at. Psalm 91 is a great declaration of God's promise to those who first seek Him out intimately as one would do in a marriage and put their trust in Him. This means to bring your cares, fears and needs to Him but also seek His counsel, spend time speaking with Him, loving Him and living a life in constant communication with Him...listening for His voice.

He who dwells in the shelter of the most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord "He is my refuge and fortress, my God in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge. His truth shall be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night or the arrows that fly by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness or the plague that destroys at midday. For a thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it will not come near you. For you will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord God your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place, no evil will befall you or any plague or calamity come near your dwelling. (this is specifically speaking about health) For He shall give His angles charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up so you do not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. "Because he loves Me," says the Lord, "I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation." Psalm 91:1-16

Wow, those are some powerful promises, and God is not a man that He should lie or the son of man that He should repent...in other words God means what He says and says what He means and doesn't take it back!

There is safety in abiding in the Lord, in making the choice to continually stay under His protective covering by putting all your trust in Him and Him alone. So what has you fearing the safety of your future? Whether it be fear for today, next week or even the years to come, God is your safe place, if you would just run to Him and stay by His side those circumstances will not be able to touch you, the enemy will not be able to lay a hand on you; even though he stands right in front of you.