Living with Simplici-Tea in Twenty Ten!

           Does the thought of “living with simplicity” seem a figment of some unknown person’s wild imaginations?  Your Bible offers examples of people walking within God’s will show dedication, vision, focus and peace, regardless of where God’s will takes them. Like so many women today I find myself not sure where to turn next. Days end without a sense of good completion. The Bible would teach me that my life is not entirely within God’s will; Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew, chapter 11 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Evidently there are periods when I leave the “easy yoke” for another more appealing. This thought is a book in itself, but I believe Scripture so the thought is accurate. If our days are continually hard and heavy we must pause for reflection; our very lives – physical and spiritual – may depend on it.

Recently I spoke to the ladies in our church about studying to be quiet; it is an effort to put aside time to spend with the LORD, but … truly … we do find time to do what is most important to us, to do what we really want to do.

            When my love with Harry was new it was a priority. I could talk with him all night and there are times now, I do not want to spend much time talking at all. I have so much to do, more important things to do. Oops. Do you recognize yourself here? Let us move one step further. Are we in a place now where we say we love the Lord deeply but spend very little time alone with Him? We really do love Him, but we know He will understand. I am afraid He does understand; we are as dust. He knows our weaknesses and He created us to overcome them. Think about how many times we purpose to spend more time with our Lord by listening to Him as we read our Bibles. Time in His presence becomes addicting; we are strengthened and excited! We learn truths that we sense are given specifically to our own lives, for the days and circumstances we live through now. Knowing that God communicates personally and supernaturally to us is so very real; why do we lose the craving?

            There are two primary reasons. First, something else robs our time and we deceive ourselves into thinking that this interruption is important and that it is only for one day. The second reason is linked to the first; we have an adversary. We have free choice; we do not always choose what is best. Within a few days of choosing poorly the value of this precious time we knew becomes more of a foggy memory and so is less vital to our life. The adversary has won this battle. But God. Yes; but God. We can win the war! He continues to draw us by His Holy Spirit; He is longsuffering and is so readily receives us back. Our deserving this closeness is not even an issue, but His goodness is. By the grace of God, if you have this day, then you can win the war! Greater is He; sweeter is He. Psalm 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

            This year, let His goodness draw us to Himself. So much in this world is not good; we need a refuge. We need a place to realign our thoughts to Truth. Some call it “balance”. Surely if we do not spend time with the Lord Jesus Christ, our thinking we become skewed, distorted and then we become agitated because we were created to spend time with the God Who created all! There is no way around it; this is part of the design of the Creator and cannot be avoided if we want to “run efficiently”.

            I think of the apostle Paul. He said that all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient. I love the word “expedient” and love liberty, but the truth is: We are free to choose in many things but choices have consequences. Professing Christians are celebrating their “liberty” in high volume today and we should, but not to the rejection of the law which was given for our good. Read on: Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Psalm 119:113b but thy law do I love. Psalm 119:163b but thy law do I love.  Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

            This year, purpose to spend more time in the Old Testament; it was written to the Jews but it was written for us as also. 2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: God must mean “All Scripture”, even the Old Testament!

            Many people tend to think that the Psalms were written for our comfort. They are so much more than that and the rest of the Old Testament is so much more than law and can help you through the trials of this life. In the winter of 1997 we were in India. My spirit felt dead. I was prepared never to return to India, meaning I’d found the courage to take this stand with my husband. My mind had helped me to realize that this was best for us. My mind was deceiving me. Truth was that in my sorrows and illness I had laid aside my Bible for a time. I pondered the Scriptures and affirmed in my mind that no one I had ever read about in the Bible had suffered as I was. I had convinced myself that the very Words of Life were not relevant to my life. Tell me that we do not have an adversary. But God.  A voice within me prompted me to read my Bible aloud even if I did not want to so I began where I left off, in Isaiah and read on. In that book and those that followed I read

my pain; I read my release from it too. Although I left India weak in the Spring, we would return again and many times after. Even in the hard times I can smile as I recall thinking that my grief and struggles matched or exceeded those in the Scriptures! There are simply times that “life is very hard”.  Practicing holy behavior when we least feel it seems to be a weapon in helping us fight our way back to a place of restoration.

In coming months I hope to release a book about the ministry. I am lacking the disciplines to complete it, probably making this thing harder than it needs to be. Sometimes simplici-tea can seem rather elusive. Upon completion of this book I am rewarding myself though! I desire to complete a book that may be more “fun”, a book especially for ladies!  There! I think this paragraph is a prayer request.

I encourage you to get a jump on “spring cleaning” by not adding to the clutter that can be our life. Streamline so that you can be free to excel in the things that are truly yours to do. Simplify so that you can serve God by serving others.  Your year can be a great one even if it is a difficult one. All things are possible with God!

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