His Success in Me

I want to be successful in living the life He has called me to live, but there are things that are necessary for me—things I need to strengthen in my life and things I need to cast out. I need to be disciplined and pruned for His purpose.

“Strip down, start running, and never quit!” the writer to the Hebrews declared. “No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins! Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls” (Hebrews 12:2–3, MSG)!

My success comes from how God is able to succeed in me and what He is able to accomplish in and through me. I discover His success through surrendering my will to His will for my life. I discover His power when I realize that my power is not really able to achieve anything. If I want to make a difference in the lives of other people—to discover how the love of Christ will change their lives—I must first allow Him to be successful in my life.

Just think about it! Power to conquer my failures! Power to conquer my demons! His power changes what I perceive as a failure to understand how He can use it for His purpose. His power silences the voices of my personal demons that speak defeat. He gives me the ability to rise above my doubts and fears. But I must surrender and “strip down, start running, and never quit.” He promises to be successful in me when I live very closely to Him, and He abides daily in me because I abide in Him. If I persevere to do His will, I will receive His promise of success. My success will then be His success.

Success may come in lives that are changed by His love, but it also comes in ways the world does not consider success and very rarely even recognizes. Success is at its greatest in sacrifice and obedience. It is in the moment when I sacrifice my desires for His that His sacrifice on the cross becomes alive in me. I hunger for His purpose. Obedience to Him becomes more important than anything else. And with that surrender, His success is achieved in my life. His purpose becomes mine.

The world does not see success in surrender. The world judges according to its own desires, but God judges with a heart that gave His Son for me. The Lord understands the power of surrender. It is a daily labor of setting my own desires aside and allowing Him to work in me. He plants himself in my life and daily prunes me until I bear fruit. As I surrender to His lesson, I bear the fruit of His success in what I accomplish.

The secret to my success is surrendering my own plans, desires, purpose, ideas, and needs. Surrendering to Him is a promise of success that is better than any I might imagine. Success is Christ alive in me! I will keep my eyes of Jesus and learn how He finished His own race. I will persevere in spite of all odds. When I find myself wavering, I will remember how Jesus faced obstacles that I will never have to face. I will remember how He laid down His life to set me free from sin and failure. I will remember how He held on for His ultimate reward. Am I ready to surrender to succeed? Time will tell.

(Devotion from Form Me, Fire Me, Fill Me)

Copyright 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

In Quietness and Trust

Have you ever faced something evil that has been said about you—something that is not true—something another person has misunderstood and not even asked you about?  Perhaps you have been the recipient of misunderstanding trying to help another person, and the enemy has twisted your motives. Your relationships with others is where you express the love of God in your life. It is also where misunderstanding and sometimes blatant evil put those relationships at risk. In Psalm 37:1-11, the Lord steers you safely through troubled waters, and offers direction to handle whatever comes against you.

“Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

“Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

“Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

“Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

“A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity” (Psalm 137:1-11 NIV).

The meek will inherit the land. The meek will receive what is meant to be theirs. Those who are humble in the Lord will receive their promise. No matter what evil they might see around them, it will one day be as nothing. What a promise. But you must have a humble spirit for it to be true. You must have a heart that seeks God instead of focuses on what you are unable to change. In these verses David outlines exactly what should be true in your life to inherit this promise.

David writes that you are not to fret. Don't worry. Trust in Him. Be assured of His faithfulness no matter what you see. Dwell in the land, and stop finding fault. Be content. Make commitments to Him. Put down roots and discover that He cares for His own. Delight in Him. Praise Him, and look for the good that He has planted in your life. And He will give you the desires of your heart.

If you commit your life to Him completely, He will vindicate you. No matter what you face or what might be said about you, He shall be your defender. You do not have to prove anything. He is your proof, and your promise. In quietness and trust you shall find your strength in Him (Isaiah 30:15). Be still and know that He your God. Wait for His promise instead of taking matters into your own hand. If you wait for Him your strength is renewed, and your peace is secured. What you see will not injure your heart. What you hear will not destroy you. What suddenly arises to destroy your peace will gain no entry, because you have committed your life to the Lord. You trust only in Him.

Commit each decision and action to Him. Trust Him, and He will take care of what you cannot. When you focus on Him, He becomes your reality instead of the deceptiveness of this world. Those who have misunderstood your heart will not steal your peace. Those who might believe the enemy’s accusations will not steal your joy. When the Lord is your truth and your purpose and your heart’s desire, nothing will prosper against you. In peace and spiritual prosperity, you will know with every fiber of your being that He is your God, and He is in control.

© Copyright 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

         

         

         

Torrents of Blessings

Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!  For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of Living water will flow from his heart.” —John 7:38 (NLT)

Who God is and what He has accomplished at Calvary, makes my life not about me. Jesus died so I might live for others. He loves me so I can love others unconditionally. He forgives me so I can forgive those who have hurt me. His loving grace is offered to everyone. Not just me. And now that I have received His love, I choose to allow it to flow freely through me so He can change the hearts of others. He calls me daily to be His unstoppable river of love.

“The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles,” Oswald Chambers shares in Diffusiveness of Life from My Utmost for His Highest. “Never get your eyes on the obstacle or on the difficulty. The obstacle is a matter of indifference to the river which will flow steadily through you if you remember to keep right at the Source. Never allow anything to come between yourself and Jesus Christ, no emotion, or experience; nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.”

“Anyone who believes in me,” Jesus implores, “may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart’” (John 7:38, NLT). If I believe in Jesus, I have unhindered access to His living water. If I drink from His Source, I shall flow with His love. No obstacle or difficulty will hinder me.

“Think of the healing and far-flung rivers nursing themselves in our souls!” Oswald Chambers continues in Diffusiveness of Life. “God has been opening up marvelous truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is an indication of the wider power of the river He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has nourished in you mighty torrents of blessing for others.”

I am called to live and flow with His love. When I am nourished and filled at the Source, I receive His unstoppable grace which overcomes any obstacle in its path. When God flows freely in my life, He flows from me into areas that I cannot even see. As I give myself away, I receive more and more from Him, and those who draw His living water shall receive the freedom of His grace with which He has blessed my life.

Is it possible for me to be such a torrent of blessing?  If He remains my source, out of my life streams of living water shall flow. It is His promise.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

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His Word Lasts

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. —James 4:14 (NLT)

We are here only for a moment in time. Unable to understand what life will be like tomorrow, we become trapped in a fog either of our own making or circumstances beyond our control. “Fog”, in this verse, is a metaphor revealing the shortness of earthly life. But it does more than that. It also represents our inability to trust God. Often, when we can’t see clearly enough to take the next step, we become frozen in fear. We forget that whatever happens is like the morning fog. It is here awhile, and then it is gone. We don’t need to vacillate in a sea of doubt and despair. Encumbered by emotions which rage, we should remember that “the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8, NLT).

 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth,” Isaiah penned great truth inspired by God. “They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:10-11, NLT).

Whatever your fog, He gives clarity in His Word. He is your guide. No matter what emotional distraught you battle, His Word accomplishes His peace when its truth becomes the foundation of your life (Philippians 4:6-7). You don’t know what tomorrow holds, so why worry about it? (Matthew 6:34)  Why be consumed with what “might be”? Instead, be consumed with His Word—His truth. It is your strength and sure foundation through the ebb and flow of earthly life. The Word of God anchors, and steers you home. Trust Him, and remember fog—whether physical or spiritual—always dissipates.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

The Anticipation of Your Promise

Luke 1:5-25

Like Zechariah don't miss the anticipation of your promise. The angel Gabriel told him he would be a father, and he didn't believe it. Everything in the natural realm told him that for him and Elizabeth to have a child would be a total impossibility. Zechariah paid for that lack of faith. The promise would still come true, but he lost something valuable—the joy of the anticipation of His promise—the expectation of something that was coming that needed to be shared and spoken. He lost the ability to speak. He lost the anticipation of the promise to come.

Elizabeth and Mary were both expectant with their promises! Be expectant with yours. Have faith to believe in the impossible. Enjoy your time of waiting for your promise knowing that God is doing a miraculous thing in you. Persevere and do His will, and believe the promise will come (Hebrews 10:35-36). All things are possible with God, and it is always in His timing.

Elizabeth and Mary felt the promises within them growing and maturing. They knew the joy of expectation. Enjoy your time of waiting. It can be almost as joyful as the arrival of the promise itself. God's promise to you is just as real. But don't focus on just the time that it will come. You will lose the joy of expectation in the waiting.

Copyright 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Give Him You

“Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands for that is where my happiness is found” (Psalm 119:34-35, NLT).

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was called to a great work. The angel, Gabriel, came to her and said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Mary trembled at the news, but she replied, “I am the Lord's servant.” (Luke 1:36-38). Do you realize, like Mary, you are also called to fulfill a purpose?

Mary had a heart to obey. She never walked away from God's calling. Don't walk away from what God has called you to do for the sake of time or personal need or even fear. The desire of His heart is for you to know Him completely, to be fulfilled in your calling, to have a pliable heart, to know the power of His presence, and to receive what He has promised. The promise is realized when you allow Him to work in your life, and give Him the gift of a surrendered and obedient heart.

Have you let go of the precious gift of His calling for the sake of your own personal need or because of fear? Long ago I did. There was no joy in placing my desire before His calling. At the time my decision seemed so right, because my need seemed so great, but I learned later I had lost so much of what He had promised. And my greatest loss was in failing Him. I lost so much believing I was making the best decision, when all He wanted was for me to allow Him to be in control. He just wanted my obedient heart. He longed for me to trust Him to bring about what He had promised. And what it cost was the loss of His purpose and presence. Never again will I turn from His will for my life.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV). Mary realized the omnipotence of a great God, and the importance of what He asked. She realized that He was higher in every way than she could ever be, that His purpose and vision in every way surpassed her own. If He has promised you something allow Him to bring it to pass in His time. His vision is sometimes beyond your human understanding and comprehension, but trust Him for His promise. He will give you a heart of understanding. If you will obey His instructions–following the path He has created just for you, you will discover a happiness you never thought possible.

Jesus is the reason for this wonderful season. Christ was born for you and me, and He died for us. His gift came at the greatest cost—His pure life for our sinful one─His unconditional love for our rejection─His pain for our stubbornness. And what will it cost us? A repentant, and obedient heart. His will instead of our own. Give Him the gift of a surrendered and obedient heart this Christmas. Give Him all of you.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Once Lost Now Found

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

—Luke 15:24a (NIV)

Where am I?  Who are you? What are you doing to me? I’m scared of you—of what you want from me. Why are you talking so loud to me? I can hear you. You are upset with me. What have I done? I can’t see anything around me very well. I reach for things my hands can’t find. I don’t know what is real and what isn’t. I’m lost, and can’t find my way home.

I sit beside you, Daddy, and wonder if these are some of the thoughts in your mind. I don’t know where you are right now, but I know that, even if we can’t go with you, you are not alone. Your Lord is with you in this disease that robs you of who you have always been. Last night, Daddy, you fought those trying to help you. You didn’t know who was touching you—moving you—trying to care for you. You only knew you were terribly afraid of what you could not understand. You, my gentle father, struggles to live in a world beyond your understanding.

You always sang your faith, Daddy. So many times I remember sitting at your computer and listening to the worship songs you had put into it so you could practice your part. Your face would light up as you sang about His love and grace. Sometimes I would sing with you, and you would turn to me and say, “I don’t understand how people can’t believe He is Lord.” And we would sing, and that little grin would unexpectedly light up your face and tug at my heart.

I may feel you are lost to us, but you are not lost to Him. In God’s reality, what was dead is now alive again. As you die to us and all that is in our world, you are held more closely by Him. You are His son, and He has found you in this place where we cannot go. I want to remind you He is with you, so I sing “He is Lord”.  Your limp hand stirs in mine. Your eyes are closed, but your lips quietly move. You know—you know that He is with you.

“Oh Lord,” Mama used to sing, “I can't even walk without you holding my hand. The mountains too high and the valleys too wide. Down on my knees that's where I learned to stand. Oh Lord, I can't even walk without you holding my hand.” It is on my knees where I learn how to stand. He is not only holding your hand, Daddy. He also holds mine and walks with me. Our worlds are not the same right now, and will never be again, but He is with us in both—loving, guiding, and carrying us safely toward home. Once lost. Now found.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

He Became Personal

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. —Isaiah 53:5-6 (NIV)

Many know the sadness of a lonely Christmas. For others Christmas is a time of joyous celebration. But how often, when we celebrate His birth, do we dwell on the reason He was born? If we did, perhaps the gift of His life would change our hearts. God became personal when Jesus came into the world. God, who was not human, became human for us. He, who was born an innocent child, knew no sin. He came into the world to take our sin upon himself so that we might have abundant life now, and eternal life forever.

The gift of His life at Calvary is what offers us a personal God, but it is our “yes” in absolute surrender, that gives us a personal relationship with Him. It is the only thing which really makes God personal. He, who knew no sin, became sin in order that each person could be set free from sin's control. God laid on Jesus Christ all of our sins, and He took them to the cross for you and for me. You can't get much more personal than that. He gave his life and bore our sins so we might be healed and made whole. Such love calls for a response from you and me. We can't ignore such a sacrifice. We either accept it or reject it. If we accept it and surrender to Him, we discover the incredible depth of His love that surrendered everything for us. If we reject it, we lose the greatest love ever offered.

What is your response? What is mine? Do we allow Him just a little of ourselves, and reserve our total commitment? We want to approach Him. We want to come boldly before Him in our time of need, but we don’t want to give our own absolute surrender. Perhaps we want to hold on to a gift or even a calling, but He asks us to lay everything down for His sake—just as He laid all down for ours. Sometimes we must lose the gift or the calling or whatever is important to understand that those things are not what really matter. He is what really matters. He is what is important.

If we say “no” to the gift of His life, we lose everything. But if we lay down all that we have been and all that we are, and place Him above everything else, we discover a personal God beyond human imagination. No one has a greater love than that he gives his life for someone else. When we know in our hearts that this innocent child was born to love—to forgive—and to save us, Christmas becomes real. None of us need ever be lonely again. This was the greatest and will always be the greatest love story ever told.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Ask

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 

1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

What is the desire of your heart this Christmas? If whatever you desire is in His will, He hears your request. He knows exactly what it is, and has your provision ready. You can rest assured that He has the best answer for whatever your need. Have confidence in approaching Him. Ask in faith believing that He will answer. Trust His love for you. Trust His faithfulness to you. Bring to Him your desire knowing that to lay it on the altar means His help in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). His desire is to supply what you need, but you must ask, believing that He will supply what is best for you. Faith is the key that unlocks the door, but faith only grows stronger in intimate contact with Him. To know Him intimately means you understand His will for your life, and that it is more important than anything else. A heart that is sold out to God has the faith to believe that He can move mountains. Let Him own your heart, and “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6, NIV).

Ask in faith confidently believing He will supply your request. He will never forsake or fail you.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com

Feast and Be Filled

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.

—Luke 6:21a (NKJV)

On Christmas Day you are usually too excited opening presents to eat very much in the morning. You also may not have eaten much in anticipation of what you are going to be offered for your holiday meal. You have waited expectantly for that feast, and you can't wait to be filled with it riches. This is just an earthly feast. Its riches do not last. It is there at one moment filling you to overflowing, and then leaving you hungry the next. You have partaken of its earthly bounty, but it has offered no lasting sustenance. Its riches have left you deflated and without purpose. You are empty once more. Like Esau you have filled yourself with the immediate satisfaction of a rich blessing, but unlike Esau, you do not have to miss the promise of a lasting one.

Jesus' feast is like no earthly one. He prepares a table of spiritual riches that satisfies the deepest spiritual void in your life. His feast isn't devoured in an instant and then gone the next. His feast is everlasting, and the richness of its offering is constant. When you come spiritually hunger to His table for the spiritual feast he has prepared for you, your emptiness is satisfied. Sometimes you come in desperation. Feasting hungrily on His riches, you discover sustenance and help for your time of need. Other times you come with a deep hunger for the life-changing richness that offers joy and peace no matter what you earthly circumstance. Other times you come to just bask in the richness of His glory. But you come. You ingest the richness of His truth, and its nutrition fuels and nurtures your life. Each morsel of His love fills you with what earthly riches could never give. You feast on the unshakeable Kingdom of God―His feast that never ends.

This Christmas come hungry to His table. Feast upon His bounty and grace. Feast upon His purpose and promise in His Word. Feast upon His presence. Feast upon His forgiveness. Feast upon the One who created you and delights in you. Feast upon the amazing gift of His life given in unconditional love so that you might partake of all He has for you. Feast upon the Father who calls you His child. If you are in Christ, God looks at you and says “You are my beloved son. You are my beloved daughter. Come and be filled. Feast and never hunger again.”

It is His promise.

© 2017 Lynn Lacher

www.lynnlacher.com