Found

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

—Proverbs 3:5 NLT

Long ago I struggled with things that tore my heart—thoughts that tormented and claimed my mind. I could get no clear direction. My faith was drowned in a turbulent sea of fear. Trust waited patiently to still my raging tide, and calm my soul. I heard faith calling to reach and believe—to believe beyond what I saw, heard, or felt. It offered peace and quiet, rest and restoration, but I held on to that fear which offered no solace. I declared I needed proof. I declared I needed to see, hear, and feel.

You beckoned me to step into the midst of that turbulence, and to choose faith—to declare that I trusted in your love for me. You who had given your life for me would not allow me to drown. You called, and I chose you. I stepped from the false security of my self-constructed identity into the sea that summoned. I reached for your hand instead of my own. And I saw you. I heard you. I understood you. I walked with you above the waves. It was not the sea that had been my fear. It had been the fear of letting go and losing me.

Instead of losing myself all those years ago, I found who I really was in you. And now there is still more to learn of who I am. There is more to see without seeing, hear without hearing, and to understand beyond my human constraint. There will always be a turbulence, but you will always be my safe harbor. There is nothing to fear—nothing—when you walk out of the tomb with me.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

In Me

There are no words to share the depth of what I experienced at Calvary and the tomb. There are just no words to convey my broken and then healed heart. He is pure love, unhindered with all the baggage we create. We make His grace so complicated. We project our own selfishness into His every purpose. Selfishness is the source of our grief of what we believe we have lost. But we have lost nothing. We are found.

That morning in the garden the tomb waited where they had laid His broken body. The gift of His life drew me without questioning the moment—without words—without any motive. His love drew me without regard to anyone’s opinion or verdict. He had offered His life demanding nothing in return. I stepped into His tomb, not realizing how the renewed gift of His love would rescue my besieged heart.

His grace met me there. Joy met me there. What I had known and believed in my mind, I now sensed and felt empowering my heart. I would have stayed in that empty tomb safe from the torment of human expectation and need, but that would have not been my purpose. I was called to take the freedom of this moment out of the tomb into a world hindered with sin, man’s expectation, and motive. The need to be free beyond the wall of this tomb was very great.

I stepped from the tomb into the light, and His Hand grasped mine. I was not alone. His message would live in me.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

No More Tomb

The Place of the Skull lay right before me—your precious gift of sacrifice calling. “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they do.”  Your heart beat on that cross for me. Your love bled without price to melt the prison of my selfishness. I breathed your agony as you waited for release. Just before your heart ceased, I realized that the greatest promise was about to enfold this struggling world. With your last breath, it was finished. Love fulfilled its purpose. Grace met the rigid wall of my stubborn heart, and love called my name.

As I turned from the place you had died, new life beckoned. I knew this was not over. I couldn’t draw enough of you into my heart. You loved me with all you had to give, and now I yearned to love without reserve. You forgave, and now I longed to forgive without regard. The tomb waited where they laid your broken body. The gift of your life drew me without thought—without ulterior motive. It drew without regard to man’s opinion or his judgement. You had given pure love with nothing expected in return. And now I was drawn to your tomb to seek the unselfish love that gave life for my besieged heart.

My broken heart was called to come within the small opening. My shattered life was drawn into the tomb where yours had been placed. So I entered. You had escaped this tomb through the love you had given at the Place of the Skull. You were not here! You had risen! Your love had conquered the pain of my selfish heart, and your unrestrained grace had set me free to forgive as I had been forgiven. Grace had met the rigid wall of my selfishness, and melted my resistance. I could breathe.

I stepped from the tomb into the garden. Your hand lay upon my heart. There was no me. There was only release from the bounds of my own tomb. There was only your love so pure and flowing that only one word could explain. I could now forgive and love as I had been forgiven and loved. I was free.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

In Israel

Lord, I worship You…
Where you once walked, I now walk.
Where you once loved, I now love.
Where you once overcame, I now overcome.
Where you once rose, I now rise.

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? ”
1 Corinthians 15:55

His Word

His Word is truth. His Word is life. His Word never fails. His Word is hope. His Word is promise. His Word is peace. His Word is faithful. His Word never returns void. His Word has purpose. His Word brings joy. His Word brings strength. His Word brings healing. His Word gives power. His Word is all I need for all that I face. I will study it. It reveals exactly what I need for life's journey.

Tomorrow I walk in Him.

Wings of Eagles

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

Goodbye. Going to the Holy Land. 

Israel

I am leaving in the morning for Israel for ten days. I will start posting devotions as soon as I am awake enough to do so when I get back!  Your prayers are appreciated.   I pray for all of you who read these devotions!  You make my passion for writing come alive.  

Strength

Jesus never fails me. His promises are not dependent upon my ability, but only upon my accepting His will and walking in it. He gives me His assurance that though I may fail in what I attempt, ultimately His promise and purpose will prevail. When He chose Peter, He saw Peter's potential. He recognized not only someone who after denial and failure, would rise up to walk in His power and strength, but He chose Peter so that others who are frail and weak might realize that God's purpose is not limited by their weakness. My weakness given to God becomes His power in my life to achieve the potential He sees in me.

Often I feel weak, but I can’t go on feelings. When surrendered to Him, I am strong. Monday I leave for Israel, and it will be awhile before I return to posting and emailing devotions. I pray for the weakness of my human heart to receive every strength and purpose He has for me. I appreciate your prayers for my friend, Donna, and I, as we travel to the place where our lives began.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Out of the Ashes

Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

—Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

If you are struggling in darkness or circumstances beyond your control—if you live a virtuous life filled with compassion, you will not remain in that darkness forever. Light will dawn. His promise will come. You will climb out of that hole. His light will guide you safely through your battle—your turmoil—your pain—to His healing peace.

“Such people will not be overcome by evil,” the psalmist continues. “Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly” (Psalm 112:6-8, NLT).

Stand in His promise. When you belong to Christ, the evil of this world will not overcome your faith. And that faith may be as small as a mustard seed, but its strength will blossom in the midst of hardship. It would be wonderful if you only heard good news every day. Bad news is a part of life. You don’t need to fear bad news. God will take care of you. You can face whatever that news is. You can stand confident and fearless in spite of it.

“To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,” Isaiah imparts, “a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory” (Isaiah 61:3, NLT).  Evil does not win. His blessing will rise from that which tries to destroy. Not only will you rise from the ashes in His power and promise, you will remain strong, planted deeply in His purpose. Nothing that comes against you will defeat you. Out of the ashes, you will rise.

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Generous Wisdom

          When you face a trial, do you feel desperate and yearn for wisdom from God to handle it?  “If any of you lacks wisdom,” James writes, “he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him” (James 1:5, NIV).  Do you feel overwhelmed by a hard circumstance and don't know where to turn? Turn to the Lord and ask for His wisdom. You will receive abundant insight to know what to do or not do in your situation.

Often we ask God why something has happened, and we don't hear an answer. We are not meant to know “why” in all instances. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9, NIV). God sometimes lets you know that you are not meant to know the reason something has happened. But when you ask in faith for His help, you can trust Him to give you divine wisdom to safely bring you through your circumstance.

          James not only instructs you to pray for wisdom, but he tells you to pray believing you will receive it. If you pray for wisdom and do not receive it, it is probably not because you do not have enough faith. The Word says that faith the size of a little mustard seed can move mountains. James identifies the problem as being “double minded”. Someone who is double-minded does not live for God, but expects God to answer his prayers. James says such a person is unstable in everything he does (James 1:8). God does not grant wisdom to a person who is double-minded. Such a person should not believe God is obliged to give him anything—let alone His infinite wisdom. On the other hand, when a single-minded person surrenders to God, and trusts in what the Lord imparts. His mind is stable. He surrenders his whole life to God, and lives only for Him. He is well aware that if he lacks God's support, he will fail. So when this single-minded person cries out to God for wisdom, He gives it generously.

          Do you feel you have faith the size of a mustard seed, but can't move your mountain? It is not your place to move your mountain. It is His. Focus on God's Word instead of your problem. Focus on His power and promise. If you give all your energy to your problem instead of seeking the Lord, you will be double-minded.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast,” the Word instructs, “because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV). You become single-minded when you focus your mind and all your energy on Him. Your problem is never the real issue. Trusting Him is the real issue. When you completely surrender your life to Him, He generously grants you His wisdom to handle whatever comes your way. You learn that in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15).

© 2018 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com