Trust His Heart

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

—Isaiah 43:1b-3 (NLT)

You know Him. Trust Him. Do not fear. You have been bought with the precious price of His life given without hesitation for you. You, who once faced the terrible result of your sin, no longer need to dwell in fear of it. Your ransom has been paid. You are no longer in debt. You are free in His love. Grace has claimed you. So when you go through turbulent times, you are never alone. He not only is with you. He carries you, and strengthens you. When life attempts to drown your hope, you will not drown. He rescues you from the whirlpools of strife that try to pull your under. When you are thrown into the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up, but made more resilient. You will be purified by the fire of what is beyond your control instead of consumed by its heat. Life’s hardships will not destroy what He has wrought in your life.

This is what is true in your spirit, but for it to be believed in your mind and trusted in your heart, you must internalize His Word—His Truth—until it claims your thoughts. His Word is not just something to be read again and again, and you just hope it claims your mind and heart. You make a choice to dwell in His Word, and seek His Truth. You always appreciate what you dig out—not what is just dumped in your lap. For trust to blossom, you also choose to seek intimacy with Him—to decide to make the moments of each day His. When you surrender and choose to walk by faith, He empowers your choice. But, remember, when your resolve is tested, you do not give up. You hang on for the gold.

Don’t dwell on the negative of what you have believed. Dwell on what He says is true. Place all you have to give on that option. Hold nothing back. Keep nothing in reserve. You no longer go to an Old Testament God on Mount Sinai—one of fire and doom waiting to punish you for your sin. No! You have been redeemed by His love on Calvary. Your sin is forgiven, and you are covered by His love. It is accomplished, and what He has done for you on Calvary can never be taken from you. Grasp this! You now go to a New Covenant God of grace and love, who reaches to gather you to His heart. So go to Him. Because you are precious to Him, He honors you, and He loves you. Trust His heart. He places all His trust in you.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

No More...

He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. —Job 8:21 (NLT)

No more hurt—He carries me above tragedy’s haunting refrain.

No more weakness—I may feel weak, but when I yield to Him, I’m strong.

No more fear—He gives unshakeable faith to trust Him.

No more hiding—He always finds me behind my false wall of protection.

No more turmoil—He brings peace and rest when all around is in flight.

No more struggle—He smooths the rough places that I cannot level.

No more rejection—I am accepted in spite of my failures.

No more despair—He encourages what I cannot fathom.

No more sadness—He wipes every tear from my eyes.

No more am I alone—He restores my heart to beat with His.

He once again fills my mouth with laughter.

I shout for joy. I am loved.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Overwhelmed

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge. —Psalm 61:2–3a (NLT)

My heart felt overwhelmed today, Lord. It was stretched beyond what I thought I could bear. The emotional pressure and stress would have been too much if it had not been for you. I cried out to you, Lord, and your Spirit prayed for my comfort and healing from within the depths of my own broken heart. My spirit clung to yours. I could feel your Spirit rising within me. I could feel your heart beating from within my own, calming and finally imparting peace to my battered soul.

You are my place of safe refuge from all that comes against me. You are the rock of protection to which I cling. You are constant, you are true, and you never change. You are the healer of my wounded heart. My world may crumble—my loss might be great—but you are my strong and mighty tower of strength. You are my safe harbor in a sea that threatens to claim my last breath.

Come, Holy Spirit, and take the grief of this day. Make it part of the joy that will come tomorrow. I walk in your Spirit, and I yearn to never leave. I breathe in your Spirit, Lord. I breathe in your hope and your promise. You are the heartbeat of my life. You constantly lead me into your presence again and again and again. You call to me until leaving your altar is something that no longer beckons—until all I desire is you carrying me through each moment of whatever my day presents.

You have heard my heart’s cry from the ends of the earth, Lord. From the bounty of heaven, you have brought peace of mind the world will never understand. You bring joy that cannot be described with mere words. You bring wholeness into my divided and torn life. No longer overwhelmed—no longer pressured with too much—I rest in you.

A devotion from Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

My Father

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

—2 Timothy 4:7, NLT

Faithful. If one word could summarize my father, that would be it. Through all the years of his life, he was faithful to God, his family, and anyone the Lord sent His way. If he made a commitment, the only thing that might keep that commitment from being honored, would be a circumstance beyond his control. His word was his oath. He was honest with everyone. There really was no guile in him. He had no ulterior motive in his words or actions. Of course, he was not perfect. None of us are. But he had a quality of life which was a result of his faith. When you met Bud Hampton, you met a man who was unforgettable.

In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes of the fruit of the spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. My father always loved beyond measure—taking care of not only his family, but so many others in his life. Joy was deeply ingrained in him. It was not based on circumstance, but on his faith. When faced with a trial or a problem, he found peace in knowing and planning options from which he might choose. My father was the epitome of patience. He rarely got hurried or flustered over anything. He was always a calming influence—not only to his family, but to most people he knew. He was kind and thoughtful with family, friend, or stranger. Filled with God’s goodness, he remained a gentleman all his life.  And that is exactly what he was—a gentle man who was faithful to a fault. Once committed, he not only remained committed, but also exhibited a self-control that reached beyond his own life with its influence. My father lived the fruit of the God’s Spirit.

Rising above every hurdle life afforded, he has now fought the good fight and run a winning race. The prize awaits him—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, bestows (2 Timothy 4:8). Faithful in this life to the Master who brought him life, the Master has remained faithful to him and bestowed upon him life in heaven. He is now no longer a bud, but a lovely bloom in the Master’s bouquet.

Copyright © 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

He Fights for Me

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us; God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

—Psalm 46:1–3 (MSG)

My refuge. My place of safety. My anchor. My help in time of need. He is all this and so much more. What do I ever face that He can’t and won’t handle? Because of Him, I stand without fear before any battle. I stand courageous before the unknown of tomorrow and the unrest of today. No storm of life is able to shake my assurance in Him.

My world may surge with circumstances beyond my control, but they are not beyond His. No shock in my life is too great to defeat my faith in His unchanging truth. The same God who Jacob wrestled also fights for me. I may feel the wound of my own failure, but I shall become stronger because of it. I am healed only because He was wounded for me.

God fights battles beyond my comprehension, and I know nothing about these battles. I have no need to know. I don’t face or fight whatever lies ahead. He fights for me.

Devotion from Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me (introduction Chapter 6)

Copyright © 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Dear Daddy

When I was little, you held me. And then one day I had to hold you. You always reminded me through the years that you loved me, and that God loves me. And then came the day I had to remind you. You once were strong and my protector. Then I became yours. You once carefully and in great detail managed and organized your world. Later, when you forgot where you were and what was happening around you, your incredible mind continued measuring, leveling, planning, and constructing the amazing things you constantly envisioned.

Years ago you tried to teach me math, but not too successfully. You were surprised when, later, I became a computer teacher. Then I became your personal computer nerd who you erroneously believed could fix anything. You were always resilient, a gentle and loving giant of a man, and you remained a gentle and loving giant of a man to the moment you drew your last breath.

Even in moments, during these past two years, which have broken my heart, you have always been my daddy. Continually larger than life, you taught me integrity and commitment. You lived it. You lived your faith. For years, you tirelessly and lovingly took care of Mama, and then God graciously allowed me to be here for you. But I was not alone being here for you. My dear husband, Pat, went to Autumn Cove every day and met a need not only for me, but for you. And then there was Jeanie. God did not send just anyone to you. He sent Jeanie. He sent an angel who brightened your days like no one else could—who touched a place in your heart that was for her alone. You called her “my Jeanie”.

One day you found yourself trying to make sense of a world that made little sense to you. Yet your world was full of incredible possibilities. You, who in life had been so careful and calculating in every decision, were suddenly free to imagine. And did you ever! You piloted your plane through clouds that spiraled out of sight. You were “Star Trek” zapped to Atlanta, Birmingham, and back to Anniston again and again. You took detailed train trips, and quick flights to South America. There was no limit to your adventures as you traveled the world with no time restraint. Daddy, when you spoke, it was a collage of events—of impossible feats—of a place where, in your mind, you were still in control. You flitted between realities as light as a feather. You danced in a place I hadn’t been. You saw what I had never seen, and you experienced what I had never experienced.

Within your soul, rested God’s promise that you were known by Him. Even when you had trouble remembering Him, Daddy, He always remembered you. He has called you by name. And now you no longer live in a world that makes little sense. You live whole and free in His. You will always remain, through this life, and infinitely into the next, a strong and gentle man, who impacted my life with his heart.

Copyright © 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Still I Will

Praise the Lord, my soul;
All my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
And forget not all his benefits—

Who forgives all your sins
And heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
And crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Psalm 103:1-5).

My father passed a week ago. In the midst heartbreak, I still experience His peace. It is such a miracle to me. This psalm speaks to my heart this morning. I praise Him no matter how much physical or emotional pain I may bear—no matter what happens around me, because He has never failed me in all the years that I have loved and served Him. All my being praises Him this morning—my heart is full—my soul is His, and I have nothing to fear. Remembering all that He has done inspires me to still believe in His perfect promises—those pearls He has given, which I may or may not see in this life. I still believe. I still trust. I still honor His love which gave everything for me. Still I will praise Him.

He has forgiven all of my sins—not just some, but all. Each one forgiven, He has redeemed my life from the greatest torment. Throughout the years, there have been times of cancer and healing—heartbreak, fear, worry, hurt, doubt, broken relationships. There has just been life. But always He has been faithful. There are still some relationships to be healed—needs to be met, and only He knows what is ahead. In all of these things, He is still faithful to me.

He has crowned my life with His love, and I pray each day for His love and compassion to live in me. He has filled my life with more than I could ever want. I am full each day of the wonder of His presence. In all the years I have known Him, each day is new and full and joyful in Him. And in that joy—as long as I am able—I will continue to write, continue to pray, continue to believe, continue to serve, and continue to rejoice. I belong to Him, and that makes all things possible. I know I am never alone. One day when He calls me, I will walk with Him into eternity. Holding my hand, just as He always has, He will lead me into that for which my heart has always longed. And no longer will I only partially experience His glory. I will see Him face to face. And I will know Him fully as He has always known me. And forever I will praise Him.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

Death in the Family

My father passed away on January 15th. I will return to posting devotions at a later date. Your prayers are appreciated. Thanks so very much.

Forever

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 (NLT)

I am always with you. I have all your concerns in my hands. Don’t worry about what tomorrow holds. I will show you the way, and grant you the joy of my presence. Today is enough for you. Don’t dwell on what may happen or what may come. Your faith is precious, and it cost my life. I will not sacrifice your heart. I am here with you in this painful time. You know me. Your life is in my hand. You are safe and secure in me. No problem will be too great or too horrible for you to handle. You will rise above whatever comes because you have waited on me. You have sought me. You have learned from me. You have taken my Word, and it has become your very life. No matter what the future holds, you are held firmly by me. You are my love, and I am not here for just a moment, but forever.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

Lynn’s Daily Devotion  www.lynnlacher.com

Worth

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul? —Mark 8:36-37 (NLT)

The human heart longs to be recognized—to be loved—to be praised. Even though God created us that way, laying these things down is what is required for the soul to flourish. You can gain accolade or acknowledgement or money or status or possessions, but, you will discover that nothing is worth more than your soul. Surrendering feelings longing to be fulfilled—surrendering the very things God has imparted—shows Him that He is worth more to you than anything you have been given. You only learn the heart of the giver when you lay down the feelings which remind you what you believe is your right to own. You only draw closer to Him when nothing stands in your way.

Jesus died so you would not lose your own soul. He knew that nothing was worth more in your life than His love for you. Although He was completely divine, He lived a human life just like your own, subject to feelings, pain, heartache, and brokenness. Yet, He lived a life of surrender that demanded no rights. He had feelings, but He laid them down. He had pain in His heart, but that pain was not for Him. It was for you. You were more important to Him than His own life.

What do you offer Him in return for His gift in your life?  Do you allow your needs and feelings to determine your worth? Or do you lay down what you have been given to receive what He offers at Calvary?  That is where clarity strikes home, and you see yourself for who you really are....a sinner saved by grace.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

Lynn’s Daily Devotion at www.lynnlacher.com

A Block Of Wood

The wood-carver measures a block of wood and draws a pattern on it. He works with chisel and plane and carves it into a human figure. He gives it human beauty, and puts it in a little shrine. Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire. With it he warms himself and bakes his bread. Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god to worship! He makes an idol and bows down in front of it! 

—Isaiah 44:13, 15 (NLT)

I read these verses, and thought “how stupid” that someone would worship something in his life that he has created—that he would place something he has created before the true Creator!  Yet, isn’t that what we do? Make things in our lives more important than God who created them? Instead of being stewards of His gift of life, we decide that we are the owner. So we take our block of wood, and we carve what we deem best, and worship what has no power to change or empower us.

What are the idols in our lives—the things that we place before God?  Some we realize, and don’t want to admit they exist.  Others are unknown. For the ones we know are in our way of a relationship with Him, He convicts us, desiring that they be removed from the pedestal where we have held them in high regard. He wishes for us to either completely let them go or place them in the right perspective in our lives. For the things which we don’t realize are standing in our way of a deeper relationship with Him, He continually attempts to bring to light so that we aware of their harm—so that we realize the power we have afforded them. God just waits for us to wake up and realize their imminent destruction.

“The person who made the idol never stops to think,” Isaiah advised, “that it is just a block of wood. He burned half of it for heat and used it to bake his bread and roast his meat. How can the rest of it be a god? The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He trusts something that can’t help him at all” (paraphrase Isaiah 44:19-20).

 “Wake up, wake up, O Zion!” Isaiah admonished. “Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer! Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, captive daughter of Zion” (Isaiah 52:1-2, NLT).  

Oh, captive child, the Lord declares, put me first in your life, and put whatever is your block of wood in its right perspective. Don’t give it power above me. Don’t unknowingly worship or place it on a pedestal. Be sensitive to my Word and my wishes for your life. Listen, and know that I am God, and I desire nothing else in your life before me. Now wake up, and clothe yourself with my grace. Wrap yourself in my redeeming love and renewed purpose. As long as you place me first in your life, nothing shall come against you or have any power to destroy you. Remove the chains of slavery to what has been your god, and, instead, make me the love of your life.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Treasure in Heaven

Have you ever realized, after the fact, that you have made a mistake? Have you told the Lord that your heart breaks because of if? You don’t own your failure. It belongs to Him. Everything you are belongs to Him so your failure also belongs to Him. You can’t keep that failure festering and hurting inside your heart until every sense of worth is destroyed. The “what-if” you ask yourself will only bind you to that failure. Being consumed with that failure and what might have been only places your failure on a pedestal instead of placing it on His altar. When that failure is idolized, it, unknowingly, becomes your treasure.

Consider today’s verse from Bible Gateway—in what some might consider a non-traditional light—and how your inability to place your failure on the altar, keeps that failure always in your mind until you have made it your “treasure”. It is not just the possessions you treasure on earth that can destroy you. The inability to forgive what God has forgiven— this “idol” that pervades your mind can destroy you, too.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT).

Don’t keep hanging on to what might have been if you hadn’t made that mistake. Lay that “idol” on His altar, where the enemy can’t come and destroy your faith. At His altar, the Lord becomes your focus instead of your failure. His altar becomes your treasure. His gift on Calvary becomes your treasure. Make Jesus your treasure and make your failure an offering, so you can learn from it, and not be consumed with it. You have a treasure of forgiveness fresh from heaven. It is something no one can break in and steal from you.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Lead Me

Surrender is where we learn trust in our Savior—where we learn that His discipline is His love beyond what we deserve. Yesterday, our pastor began to share our new year’s theme on trust—“Go Beyond What is Seen in 2018”.  Here is a devotion from Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me, which speaks of trust discovered in surrendering everything to the Lord.

Lead Me

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

—Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)

I trust in you with all my heart, Lord—not with just a little bit that I allow, but with all of it. I surrender all of my heart—all of the struggle—to find my own way through life. I surrender the pain of all my own failure to you. I surrender the hurt that has tortured my heart and the thoughts that have claimed my mind. I’m tired of holding on to all that I can’t control. I’m tired of insisting on my own way. I’m tired of trying to make happen what I desire. I have nothing left right now. I have nothing left but you. And you are exactly what I need now that I have been emptied of me.

Come, Lord Jesus. You are my Savior. Reach down and lift me from all that consumes me. My heart submits to you. When I’m drained of all strength, I trust in you. When I am empty with no purpose, I trust in you. When I am lost in a valley of pain and suffering, I trust in you. When my heart feels like it can’t take another blow, I trust in you. When I have lost that which I hold most dear, I trust in you. When I am so tired I can’t take another step, I trust in you. When I can’t hear you or see you or feel you, I trust in you. When I don’t understand why, I trust in you. I surrender all of me to know all of you.

Lead me, Lord. Lead me out of the valley. Whether it be of my own making or not, lead me out. I need you to make my path straight. I need you to show me the way to move forward. My hand is in yours. My heart rests in you. Your heart beats in me. You are my guide in all that lies ahead. You are my joy and my victory. Lead me, and I will follow. Lead me to the Rock that is stronger and so much higher than I am. You are my fortress, Lord God. You are my mighty tower. You are my deliverer.

©2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

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From Beggar to Billionaire

By Andrea Higgins

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

—Luke 11:13

My existence used to be so dependent on everyone else. I was a slave to the compliments or complaints of others. If they liked me, I had a good day; if they hated me, I had a bad day.

I was like a beggar going from person to person begging for some morsel of love so I could feel good. But it never really mattered how much I got; it was never enough. Most of the time I felt bad, “blah” at best with a few “feel goods” on occasion.

Finding myself abandoned and alone I was in a crisis. Instead of begging others to love me, I started begging my Father in heaven to change me, fill me with the Holy Spirit, and grant me the supernatural ability to love others.

Peace and joy flooded my dry, thirsty soul. I started seeing the people around me with new eyes. Instead of begging for love, I began giving love to others. I went from beggar to billionaire. When we truly experience the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot remain the same.

So how about you?  Are you a beggar or a billionaire?

©2018 Andrea Higgins

www.lynnlacher.com

Always

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. —Psalm 16:8 (NLT)

Daddy, you have been my example of commitment and love. I saw you live unselfishly for Mama for years and years. I walked beside you—supporting you and making decisions when it was too difficult for you—not really able to understand the loss you were going through then. And now I am unable to really understand the loss you are going through now.

Just as you walked with Mama, we now walk with you. Jeanie, Pat, and I are here through the days you no longer remember. You don’t know it, but our lives revolve around you. You are the subject of our conversations. Your needs are always discussed, and your feelings and comfort are paramount in our decisions about your care. You are visited twice a day, and each of us has a different perspective that gives your care the full attention you deserve.

As much as we would like to make everything perfect for you, we can’t. We can’t fix what has happened to your brilliant mind which once created, invented, solved problems and was concerned about the little things others often missed. We can’t fix your loss that we really don’t understand, but we do know one thing. You are not alone. The Lord is right beside you. You don’t need to be shaken. He is always with you.

You may be losing yourself, Daddy, but we are also losing you. Each day is another reminder that what we once experienced with you, will never happen again. Without God’s constant strength, we wouldn’t make it through this time of loss. We will not be shaken, but will stand knowing that God is right beside us, carrying us through the pain of your loss and allowing us to see a glimpse of the joy to come.

Two days ago I held your hand while you shook uncontrollably, and we begin to take flight together. We raced down the runway, and God lifted us up into His sky. We soared together, Daddy, and you spoke, from within my memory. Glancing from the cockpit with that precious grin on your face you said, “Look at this creation below us, Lynn. How can someone not believe in Him?”

You relaxed on the bed as we flew above our loss. How can they not believe, Daddy? He is always with us.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Only Victory

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!  —Romans 8:35, 37 (NIV)

I will not fail if I trust Him. Not considering anything my due, I will not fail when I humbly claim His conquering heart and steadfast mind. What I might consider a failure, He may not. It may be an invaluable lesson to teach me the necessity of relying on Him. When my attitude is that of a conqueror. I stand, and having done everything, I stand. I conquer my foes, my fears, and my obstacles. He is not just with me—He is in me, imparting His strength to rise to greater victory. I become more than a conqueror. I walk in newness of life and freedom from the past—from fears or circumstance. I walk above anything which would destroy me. And in Him there is no failure. There is only victory.

©2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

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Made Stronger

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours! —Romans 1:12 (NLT)

Encourage each other in your faith, Paul declares! When you get together, speak hope to each other. Speak life instead of despair. Speak what the Holy Spirit encourages you to speak, but always speak it with His love, and be willing to easily receive as well as you give. Speaking the truth in love is like iron sharpening iron. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17, NLT). We can bring out the best in each other, or one-by-one we can destroy each other’s hope. It is our choice. Like dominoes we shall tumble—either wounded by judgment or encouraged by the discipline of His love.

At the center of this encouragement grounding our thoughts and actions, is always the grace of Jesus.  Without it, speaking the truth in love becomes condemnation. Without His grace our actions—our encouragement—our hope—have no power. They are useless. With His grace, all is possible. Nothing stands against His love, which always forgives and redeems.

“Don’t make light of my discipline—don’t allow it to crush your heart,” the Lord whispers, “because I discipline those that I love. I encourage those I call my sons and daughters. I will discipline you because I love you, and want to see my best in you” (Hebrews 12: 5-9)! So the iron of someone else’s faith sharpens your own. And yours sharpens another, and thus we go on, encouraging each other with the love that continually rescues, encourages, and changes us! 

There is no greater love than laying down your life for another—no greater purpose than laying down who you think you are for the sake of someone else. Be continually sharpened and refined by the loving forgiveness of His grace. Allow His best to change your life. Receive His loving discipline as easily as you give it away. Iron sharpens iron, and both are made stronger for the journey.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

New Wine

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

—Luke 5:37-38 NLT

I took my breath this morning because you were with me. Yesterday, I noticed a need in a person’s life because you granted me your eyes. A few days ago, I saw a lady in need of someone to care, and you gave me your ears to listen to her heart. When I am open to your purpose, and without an agenda of my own, your love flows like new wine imparting spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear beyond what my human mind perceives. Then I see what you see, and hear what you hear. And then I understand the hungering need to give your love away without restraint—just as you unrestrainedly gave yours.

Lord, Jesus, your hand continually fashions me as a new creature—as new wineskin to hold the new wine of your Spirit. The old that I was—the person I left behind—the self that died—would have burst open trying to hold the blessed new wine of your mercy. Keep transforming my life into new skin that will hold your greatest supply—the wine of your precious Spirit ready to pour without hesitation when you call. I cannot pour the new wine of your love through ruptures in my old armor. But when I allow you to make me new in the spirit of your mind, I surrender to your need instead of my own.

Lord, I pray that you will continually fill me until I am brimming with the greatest compassion. From the opening in the wineskin of my life—from its mouth, pour streams of living water. Flow into the lives of those who thirst for you. Let me never be reluctant or hesitant. Freely I have received, and I freely I give.

©2017 Lynn Lacher

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