Month: November 2009

The Captivity of Activity

Posted on by Susan Panzica

My good friend, Joanne at Blessed, often writes about how to be free from the “captivity of activity”. She and her family of 6 literally took a sabbatical from all extra-curricular activities for a year. Look for her book in the future!

In today’s devotion from author Henry Blackaby, we see how our activities should be used to draw us closer to God. If activities are interfering with our relationship with Him, we are in bondage to them and must break free. Sports, hobbies, music lessons, etc. can be excellent ways to develop the gifts He’s given us.
As long as they don’t become our idols.

——-

Henry Blackaby:
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” Exodus 19:4

God did not deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt so that they could enjoy the Promised Land. He freed them so they could come to know and worship Him. Three months after they left Egypt, God reminded His people why He had delivered them “on eagles’ wings.” It was to bring the people to Himself. That is, God saved them so that they could enjoy intimate fellowship with Him. The Israelites had been slaves with no freedom to worship God. Now, with their own land, they could come to know and serve God freely. God’s call was not to destroy the idolatrous nations in Canaan, not to settle the lands they conquered, and not to establish a new nation, although all of these would be accomplished. Rather, God called them primarily to be a people who loved and worshiped Him. Through God’s act of deliverance they came to know Him as an almighty and compassionate God, and they were now free to respond to Him.

We are so activity oriented that we assume we were saved for a task we are to perform rather than for a relationship to enjoy. God uses our activities and circumstances to bring us to Himself. When He gives us a God-sized assignment, its sheer impossibility brings us back to Him for His enabling. When God allows us to go through crises, it brings us closer to Him.


If we are not careful, we can inadvertently bypass the relationship in order to get on with the activity. When you are busy in your activity for God, remember that God leads you to the experiences in order to bring you to Himself.

——–

At this time of year, our activity level seems to grow exponentially. Sometimes, we need to “just say no.” And not feel guilty!! But, if you say yes, Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58

Susan

Meditation

Posted on by Susan Panzica

In yoga and eastern philosophy, meditation is the emptying of the mind. Repeating “ohmmmm” over and over and “not thinking” is supposed to help “focus consciousness on the cosmic whole”.
Whatever that means.

For Christians, meditation is not the emptying of the mind, but rather filling it with the Word of God. The word “meditation” means “rumination” which is how a cow digests her food. A cow has multiple stomachs. She will graze a pasture eating everything in sight, but the grass remains in the first stomach until digestion starts. Then it moves back and forth between stomachs (and even back to the mouth to be chewed) until every nutrient is extracted.

Meditation on God’s Word is like rumination. We can read large portions to gain wisdom and understanding, but when we contemplate a Scripture over and over and over, it nourishes us, becoming part of our soul, like the nutrients we eat become part of our cells.

Rick Warren, in The Purpose Driven Life, describes meditation this way: “Meditation is focused thinking. It takes serious effort. You select a verse and reflect on it over and over in your mind…if you know how to worry, you already know how to meditate“.

Warren goes on to say, “No other habit can do more to transform your life and make you more like Jesus than daily reflection on Scripture…If you look up all the times God speaks about meditation in the Bible, you will amazed at the benefits He has promised to those who take the time to reflect on His Word throughout the day”.

A tiny book I read years ago provided great advice for meditation. Before you nod off to sleep, read in the Psalms. Read until a particular verse hits you. Then say that verse over and over as you fall asleep. Then, all through the night, your subconscious mind which never sleeps will be contemplating the Word rather than the scary story you saw on the nightly news.

Keep that verse in your mind as you work, shop, run errands, taxi the kids, prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Say it aloud. Emphasize a different word each time you say the verse.

“Meditation will renew our minds (Rom. 12:1) so that we will think and act more like Christ. Its objective is to reflect on what God has said and done (Ps. 77:12; 119:15-16,97) and on what He is like (48:9-14).” [Cindy Hess Kasper, Our Daily Bread]

So, let’s start chewing our spiritual cud!

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Psalm 145:5

Susan

Christmas… so soon???

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Tired of retailers rushing Christmas? So are these guys:

“Nutcrackers before Thanksgiving? An embarassment!”
Every time I see that commercial, I just crack up!

And yet here I am talking about Christmas for 40 days!
But, as I said, it’s not about the Christmas spirit– it’s about the Holy Spirit!

Last year, my friend, Lisa, was asked, as we all have been asked,
“Are you ready for Christmas?”
She responded, “Yes, because Christmas is about Jesus, and I’m ready for Him.”

Are you ready for Him?

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Luke 12:35-36

No Separation Anxiety

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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 8:35, 38-39
As a child, my daughter and some of her little classmates suffered from separation anxiety. Leaving their moms at the door to preschool became a test of patience and grace. The moms knew they weren’t leaving their children, but the children’s perspective was one of separation.

As God’s children, we can be comforted to know that He will never leave us or forsake us. He has assured us of that repeatedly (Deut. 31:6, Deut. 31:8, Joshua 1:5, 1 Kings 8:57 and Hebrews 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love (Rom. 8)

Jesus left His home in heaven to dwell among us. Did He experience separation anxiety? No, Jesus said that He and the Father are one. Though wrapped in flesh and living as a man, He was one with His Father. And He said that we are one with Him.

So if He feels distant, the question is: Who moved?
As far as we might feel from God sometimes, it is only ever one step back into experiencing His presence. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

Next week is Thanksgiving. We are given the opportunity to contemplate what we have to be thankful for. When we list our blessings, the fact that God desires to be in our presence should be at the top of our lists. Over these 40 days, may we rejoice in His presence.  

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever. Psalm 16:11

Susan

Are you expecting?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Are you expecting? 

Those words could be a thrill or they could strike fear in your heart.
It all depends upon what you are expecting.

2000 years ago, there was an expectation in the land of Israel that the Messiah would be coming (Luke 3:15). For 400 years (twice as long as the United States has existed!), there had been no spoken or written word from God. The prophecies pointed to this time in history as the time when their fulfillment would occur. The anticipation was palpable. How would the Messiah come? Who would He be? Would He meet their expectations?

Flash forward 2000 years. The church calendar recognizes the season before Christmas as Advent (from the Latin word, adventus, meaning “coming”). Traditionally, Advent commences on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. It is a season of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus.

As Advent approaches, what are you expecting?

If you were you expecting a season of stress, perhaps this will be the year that those expectations will not be met!

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2

As a photographer adjusts the lens of her camera, adjust the lens of your expectations. When the circumstances of your life, the things that are so close – the earthly things – are in crisp focus, everything else is out of focus. But by adjusting our lens, we can bring into crisp focus the things of God – the things above. Then the things of earth are not so defined. We can still see them; we know they are there, but they no longer are our focus. When we seek Him, we will find Him. We can find Him in the midst of our circumstances. We can find Him outside of our circumstances. He is never hard to find. If we are looking in the right places.

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before You
and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

 

Lord, we are expecting…. We are expecting to sense Your presence over these 40 days. We expect to see You exalted among Your people. We expect to be at peace as we keep our focus on You. Thank you, Jesus!
Susan

40 Days…

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Throughout history, God has used 40-day periods to accomplish His purposes.

– It rained for 40 days delivering Noah, his family and the animals from destruction.

– For 40 days, Moses was on Mount Sinai, face to face with God, receiving the Ten Commandments.

– The spies of the nation of Israel surveyed the promised land for 40 days.

– Jonah, in obedience, went to Ninevah proclaiming destruction in 40 days and inspired a revival in the sinful city.

– Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness  overcoming temptation before beginning His earthly ministry.

– For 40 days, Jesus walked the earth after His resurrection, giving many “convincing proofs”, speaking of the kingdom of God, and birthing the early church.

– Even in this century, Pastor Rick Warren influenced millions of people with his 40 day plan in his bestseller book, The Purpose Driven Life.

Well, 40 days from today is….. Christmas Day!
How will your next 40 days be spent?
Blessed…..  or stressed?

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day with the women at Harvest Christian Fellowship in NYC, sharing this message at their annual Thanksgiving Women’s Fellowship. Speaking on the subject of Thanksgiving, I felt led to share from Phil. 4:6-9 where Paul exhorts us to “not be anxious about anything…. but WITH THANKSGIVING… present our requests to God.” We are approaching a period of time that each year is often filled with anxiety rather than thanksgiving. This may be a deliberate attempt of the enemy of our souls to distract us from the glorious truth that God came from heaven to earth so that God and sinner could be reconciled.

So, believing that God can do amazing things in your life over the next 40 days, I am sharing a challenge with you – that together we can each have a revival in our personal lives and can influence those around us to draw close to God as well.

My desire is not that you get into the Christmas spirit…..
but that you be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

As you know, I don’t usually post more than 2 times per week because I don’t want to flood your inbox and because I don’t want to drive my family or myself crazy to write more than that. However, I will be posting every day for the next 40 days! Why and how will I do this?

Why-
I want to partner together with you in this challenge to use these next 40 days as a time for renewal, restoration and revival. I will share devotions as well as practical tips to redeem this time as preparation for our coming King.

How-
Each day I will share either:
– Something old – a previous post of mine
– Something new – a newly written post
– Something borrowed – shared from another writer
– Nothing blue – all posts will be uplifting, motivating, encouraging, useful!

Will you join me in the 40 day challenge?
Will you commit to redeeming this time?
Will you let me know so that I can pray for you during this time?
Will you share your insights with me and my readers by leaving a comment?
Will you encourage others to walk this 40 day journey with us?

Lord, may those reading this today be encouraged to take this challenge with me and commit the next 40 days to draw closer to You, to not be influenced by the stresses in their world, to be blessed rather than stressed, to redeem this time, to glorify You with their words and their deeds.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Susan

Leaf Me Alone!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
At this time of year, there is a whirring sound heard ‘round the neighborhood. Up and down the streets, neighbors are doing their fall leaf cleanups.

One side effect of being empty-nesters is that my son is not available to help my husband with the annual leaf cleanup. With our over-abundance of leaves, it is a huge undertaking. Without AJ, my husband turned to me…. Oh, joy! My husband wore the backpack blower while I loosened up the wet leaves underneath with the rake.

But with the beautiful weather, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. It was fun to work together and even provided a few spiritual insights!


First of all, we only have this responsibility because we are blessed to own a home. Renters do not have to rake leaves, but when you are a homeowner, it’s necessary. We must be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with. A home that is not maintained falls into disrepair and loses its value. Likewise, the spiritual gifts that we have been blessed with are not to be left undeveloped and unused. If we have the gift of teaching, we are to study to show ourselved approved. If we have the gift of helps, we ought to seek out those in need. Those who are gifted musically practice to keep their skills sharp. The servant who buried his talent was called “wicked and lazy,” but those who invested theirs were told “well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matt. 25:23, 26)


When I was trying alone to move the leaves with the rake, it was hard work. I was striving in my own strength when I sensed a strong wind behind me – the blower – and the leaves suddenly lifted easily. So it is with the Spirit = the pneuma = the wind! We can toil in our own strength and make a little progress. But when His power comes, we are lifted in the struggle. We no longer bear the burden alone. We can accomplish greater things with greater ease when it is in His power that we labor.

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

The blower, though, needed the assistance of the rake to loosen up the matted leaves that were wedged in corners or under bushes. Now God doesn’t need us to accomplish His purposes, but the Spirit can accomplish more in our lives when we partner with Him. He prompts us, reminds us, leads us, directs us, but it is when we respond in obedience that we can see change and victory.

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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:29-30

Our work for the day was finally done. My aching muscles were thankful I’m married to a chiropractor! But the full cleanup is not done. We tackled the front yard, but the sides and back may need professional help. Sometimes, we too need help from godly counselors who are trained to lead us through difficult times.

And when it was all done, I looked up toward the heavens thankful for the victory over the leaves – only to see the branches still had some more leaves that were sure to fall… aaarrgggghhhh! It’s NEVER over!!! Next year, the glorious herald of spring will carry the chore of the fall cleanup with it. And as long as we breathe, there will always be something that God will work in our lives. Paul was thankful that he had come so far in his walk with the Lord, but he also knew there was still far to go, more work to be done. Can this be discouraging sometimes? Sure, but only if we look at how far we still have to go without remembering how far we’ve come.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. …But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12-14

Susan

How to Climb Mount Everest!

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Recently, I attended a chiropractic seminar with my husband. The speaker one night was Dr. Tim Warren, who climbed Mount Everest reaching the summit. His talk and slide show were captivating, and his conclusion was a quote by one of the guides (called “sherpas”) who helped lead Dr. Tim and his group up to the summit.

“If you are facing in the right direction,
keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
– Phinjo Sherpa
I just love that quote. So often, we hear motivational quotes regarding the importance of putting one foot in front of the other:

Keep on keepin’ on.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Don’t watch the clock. Do what it does…
keep going. – Sam Levenson
When you come to the end of your rope,
tie a knot and hang on. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Consider the postage stamp:
its usefulness consists in the ability to
stick to one thing till it gets there. – Josh Billings


But, what all these quotes lack is the importance of facing the right direction. Frequently, we’re running a race that is just spinning our wheels, or worse – taking us in the wrong direction – away from the plan God has for us. Jonah put his feet, one in front of the other, but in the wrong direction! Same for Elijah, Jacob, Moses, David, need I go on?

Sometimes, we are trying to reach the mountaintop in our own strength like the Galatians: Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Galatians 3:3

To reach our goal, we must follow the wisdom Paul shared with the Philippians: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers [and sisters], I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12-14

Our goal is not necessarily the finish line. Peter assures us that we can receive our goal today whether we see it or not. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9

Climbing Mt. Everest was no easy task. Dr. Warren could not always see his finish line. The journey required a considerable amount of effort, money, time, and committment.

Walking with the Lord is a committment as well, but we have the best Guide ever! He will lead us into all truth, set us in the right direction, strengthen us to keep putting our feet one in front of the other, enable us to scale heights unknown.

Susan

Rejection Correction!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

I am just technically challenged, no two ways about it. It’s really a wonder that I can do this blog at all!

In my last post about rejection, I had cut and pasted a Scripture verse [Ps. 94:14] into the post. Unfortunately, it split in two with 1/2 above and 1/2 below my other verse [Prov. 3:5-6]. I have no idea how this happened, but when it did, I lost the link to the Proverbs 31 devo about rejection. So ……

First of all, here’s the correct link to the devotion
(written by Lysa TerKeurst, President of Proverbs 31 Ministries):
http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2009/11/rejection.html

And while I’m here at the keyboard, I can’t resist adding some additional nuggets 🙂
I have already heard from some of you what a timely topic this was for you, too. From job loss to family issues to friendship hardships, it’s been just tough all around. Some of us are feeling the sting of recent rejection, and some of us are still trying to deal with past rejection, trying to make sense of it, to overcome it, to let the pain of it subside.  Emotions may have been buried, but never confronted, and so they fester only to erupt later.

I want to share with you part of a comment that was left anonymously on the P31 devotion:
“Disappointment is a part of life. Not a pleasant part, but one that affords the opportunity to wallow in self pity like the spoiled brat OR be redirected, realigned, brought into right relationship. Like the merging lane to enter the freeway, disappointment will end and we’ll be on our way- on His straight path- as we trust in Him with all our hearts (Prov 3:5). If the road seems excessively bumpy, I may want to consider if I’ve continued down the side of the road, hanging on to disappointment, instead of following in the direction the LORD has prepared.”

This comment really hit home for me. I don’t think I’m necessarily a “spoiled brat”, but I sure do like to “wallow in self-pity” sometimes. If I don’t want to hang on to disappointment, rejection, or any other emotion that will keep me from enjoying God’s best, I need to readdress my focus (as I’ve shared previously).  Lysa’s devo closed with these encouraging words:

But God’s girls have a beautiful promise tucked in our pocket that lets us smile even when tears puddle in the corner of our eyes. Even when there’s no rainbow, pot of gold, or galloping prince, we have the promise of redemption.


On the other side of every death there will always be a resurrection of some sort. Maybe not a resurrection of our circumstances. And maybe not a resurrection of things lining up like we thought they should. But there will be a resurrection. Jesus has insured that.


Nothing in this world can permanently strip hope from our lives when we know we do “not follow cleverly invented stories…about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” but we follow the reality of the Risen One (2 Peter 1:16, NIV). He is our resurrection.


He is our hope.
He is that beautiful reminder that rejection from man never means rejection from God.
And He is the one who is weaving a story into our life that will one day make sense.


Dear Lord, I know You suffered the sting of rejection in a much more intense way than I ever will. And while this rejection is small in the grand scheme of life, it feels huge in my heart right now. Will You help me process this? Will You help me see past it? Will You let this fragile heart feel the warmth of Your acceptance and love today? In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thanks to Lysa and the anonymous commenter for adding such timely insights!
Susan

Rejection … NOT!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

On Tuesday nights, my small group and I have been studying Overcoming Fear. Each week, we focus on a different type of fear. Last Tuesday was the fear of rejection. We had a great discussion, but who knew it would be so timely? The next day, I received not one, but two rejection notices from publishers! 

And I’m not alone! Last week, a friend in our group received a rejection notice from a job she applied for. And another friend from this summer’s writers conference received 3 rejection notices for her work. Must be rejection season!

Then, this week unbelievably, my inbox contained a devotion about rejection (from Proverbs 31 ministry) AND an email article for writers called “Rejecting Rejection”. If you have been dealing with rejection, click on the links to be encouraged. God’s timing always amazes me. How could He who keeps the entire universe spinning in perfection be concerned with our tiny wounded hearts?

But I submit to you that there is a valuable lesson to be learned from rejection. Jesus Himself was rejected (Isaiah 53:3). He was perfect, and even He was rejected. Can we expect anything different? Being rejected, He asked the Father to forgive them. When we are rejected, we are given an opportunity to develop Christlikeness, an opportunity that we would not have were it not for the rejection we received.

For most of my life, I lived in fear and never stepped through doors that the Lord placed before me. This year, I walked through the doors, even though it meant risking rejection. Playing it safe had kept me from moving forward. So even though I was rejected, I believe I was victorious just because I tried! 

While I am not embracing rejection, I am not rejecting it either. I am determined to use it wisely. I will not harden my heart. I will seek to improve what needs improvement. And I will trust that in God’s time, His plan will be accomplished. His plan, not mine!  James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever you face trials … because the testing of your faith develops perseverance … so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (Jms 1:2-4) I’m not quite at the “joy” stage, but I am anticipating the benefits that He will bring to pass.

 The Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
–Reinhold Niebuhr


“For the LORD will not reject His people;

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6
Susan

He will never forsake his inheritance.”
Psalm 94:14