Deeper Still . . .

Last weekend I had the honor and privilege of attending the Deeper Still Conference sponsored by LifeWay with our Women's Ministry Team. Over 18,000 women converged upon the Atlanta area to hear conference speakers Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur. Worship was led by Travis Cottrell and his team. Just imagine hearing all those women singing "In Christ Alone" ~ it gives me chills just to think about it. We laughed, and cried, as we heard incredible messages from the Word that challenged and encouraged us to, first, have a personal relationship with our creator God through His Son Jesus and, second, to grow in a more intimate relationship with Him.

I want to share just a few thoughts on what we heard from these precious sisters in Christ . . .

On Friday evening, Priscilla Shirer spoke from Exodus about the wilderness experience that God led His people through. She shared how God chose the wilderness because it would best meet the needs of His people. He used the experience to show them . . .

• His Sovereignty
• Their spiritual identity in Him
• His call upon their lives that led them to new levels of surrender and practical obedience.

Something to Think About . . .
Are you currently going through a wilderness experience? What is God showing you about Himself through these difficult days? How have you recognized a new level of surrender and obedience to Him? In the center of the word obedience is the word die. Remember that in order to be fully obedient to God, we need to die to self daily. It's our choice. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

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On Saturday morning we heard a message from Kay Arthur about restoring our nation. She encouraged us through many verses from Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah to remember the holiness of our God and the judgement that will be brought upon our nation if we don't repent. It wasn't an easy or popular message to share, but I praise the Lord for her boldness because it was something we all needed to hear. As she concluded she gave us seven things to do in light of where we are in America:

1. Repent ~ Return to Me -- ask God to break our heart for what breaks His.
2. Time to mourn
3. Pray
4. Love God's Word
5. Love others as Jesus loved them
6. Introduce people to Jesus
7. REST in our faith -- being confident that our Sovereign God is in control and will accomplish His purpose and plan.

Action to take . . .
Pray daily that we, His children, who are called by His name, will humble ourselves and pray, seek His face, turn from our wicked ways and He will forgive our sins and heal our land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

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Beth Moore concluded the conference with a message from John 1, emphasizing verse 14. "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." God used her to effectively teach this verse and help all 18,000 plus women put it to memory that day.

Have you . . .
received God's Son and know with full assurance that He lives in your heart? If not, receive Him now by simply asking Him to forgive you of your sins that separate you from a Holy God. In John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Acts 16:31 says, "Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved."

Are you . . .
living in a way that others see Jesus in you? Are they drawn to Him by your attitude, your actions, your words? If not, ask Him to search your heart. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24

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If you have the opportunity to attend a Deeper Still Conference or to hear any of these teachers in your area, I would encourage you to go. You will be richly blessed.

"How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those
who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion 'Your God reigns.' "
Isaiah 52:7

Praising God from A to Z

Do you ever have trouble knowing how to praise God?

Try a simple idea ~ one that works for adults and kids.

List the letters in the Alphabet from A to Z.

Write down any word that comes to mind that describes who God is, His character or what He does. For Example:
A Awesome
B Beginning
C Creator
D Deliverer
E Everlasting
F Forgives
G Good
H Hears
I Infinite
J Just
K Kind
You get the idea. Hint: when you come to the letter X ~ you can use the word Excellent, etc.

Use those words to praise Him during your quiet time or anytime during the day.

Alphabet Praise is a great tool to use with your kids to help them know who God is. Set a timer for 3-5 minutes and see how many words they can come up with. Put the list on your refrigerator or a place where they will see it. Use those words to help your children praise God and thank Him for who He is and how He always provides for our needs.

Something else that has helped is to read a Psalm each day and list all the words you find that describe God. For example, here are a few words that describe God from Psalm 18:
strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of my salvation, worthy of praise.
Put the words beside the appropriate letter.

Using Alphabet Praise is a great way to be reminded on a daily basis who our mighty God is and what He promises.

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"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him." Psalm 18:30

"Soul" Satisfaction

Ever felt like you were in a desert? Aimlessly going from place to place, looking for someone or something to quench your spiritual thirst and fill the emptiness deep within your soul? Wandering day in and day out. Searching, but nothing satisfies. Thirst increases. Emptiness swells. Relationships are affected. Weak, unchanged, there's no end in sight.

David must have felt the same way when he cried out in Psalm 63. "O, God, You are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." David longed for spiritual nourishment, but he was far from the temple. But in the stillness of the desert, he remembered God's faithfulness in the past and he went on to say, "I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of food; with singing lips my mouth will praise You. On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."

In a comment by Chuck Swindoll in the Living Insights Bible, he says, "About the time we are ready to give up, Jesus comes alongside and whispers, 'Don't quit; keep going; keep your eyes on Me.' In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, 'Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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.'" Take Him at His word, for He who formed you, knows you and He will fill your deepest longings.

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Lord, I ask You to restore my soul.

"The LORD is my shepherd . . . He restores my soul."

Psalm 23:1,3

Forgive me for looking to others or things to fill the empty places in my life.

"You are forgiving and good, O LORD,

abounding in love to all who call to You."

Psalm 25:11

Lord, I also choose to look to You and Your Word to satisfy my needs, not to anyone or any thing else, regardless of where I am, my position in life or my circumstances. Let Your Word penetrate the deep recesses of my soul. Keep my eyes fixed on You, the author and perfecter of my faith.

(See Hebrews 4:12 and 12:2.)

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Claim His Promises

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 62:5-6

"Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. He forgives my sins and heals all my diseases; He redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion. He satisfies my desires with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:1-5

"For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things."

Psalm 107:9

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled."

Matthew 5:6