Living The Sifted Life Requires a Shifted Life

I’m so excited to speak at our women’s conference tomorrow about living, “The Sifted Life.” The title might seem unappealing until you learn the definition of the word, “intention”. It literally means to sift.

The idea of being placed in a colander & sloshed around doesn’t sound too fun until you understand the why behind a strainer👉🏽To remove unhealthy unessentials so that the essentials might remain.

Sifting requires separation, & you cannot live a sifted life without a shifted life. Living a life of intention requires a shifted perspective on what we allow into our lives - our homes, bodies, eyes, ears, schedules…do we let the clutter of things, flurry of activities or poor decisions regarding health or relationships sneak into the inner recesses of our lives? The more we do, the more our lives begin to lack intention.

When Joshua was 110 years old, he had a “come to Jesus” conversation with the people of Israel about living the sifted life.

I wonder if he knew that his time was short because he speaks with such vehemence & conviction? At one point, he peppers them with imperatives:

•So fear the Lord

•Serve Him wholeheartedly

•Put away forever the idols of your ancestors

•Serve the Lord alone

•Choose today whom you will serve

It’s easy to think about idols as trinkets they worshiped, but an idol is anyTHING or anyONE you trust to give you what only God can give!

If Joshua were peppering us with imperatives today, do any idols come to mind? Do we need a sifting so we may serve God with single-minded pursuit?

Maybe it’s money, social position, possessions, food, comfort, self-driven security…the list is endless but the bottom line is that taking stock of the perspective of our hearts is not a one & done task. If we seek to live a sifted life, we’ve got to inspect the things we allow entrance into our lives!

Oh Father, it’s so easy to let the woos of this world creep onto the throne in my heart that’s meant only for You! Holy Spirit, we need Your counsel & fruit of self control to live a life of intention. Help us put away the idols of our ancestors so we can proclaim like Joshua did in his last days, “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord!” 

#OneYearBible

April 22nd One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 24:1-33

LUKE 21:1-28

PSALM 89:38-52

PROVERBS 13:20-23

There’s a Vast Difference Between Living BY Alarms & Living IN alarm

There’s a vast difference between living BY alarms & living IN alarm. For the most part, I don’t need a morning alarm, as I usually awaken right before it sounds (if I go to bed on time!😉) It’s the varied appointments throughout the week, however, that require alarms to remember what’s next.

The thing about alarms, (for me at least), is that they can move beyond their purpose of alerting you what’s next & tempt you to panic. That feeling has become a common one lately & it’s not awesome.

In fact, my fight or flight “Holy smokes, I gotta go!” reaction not only affects my own heart, but just last week I saw my friend jump, visibly reacting to my reaction!😳 It was kinda funny in the moment, but in all honesty, I left my meeting with her & wept a little on my way to the next thinking, “Not cool, Kimberly…”

Aside from clearing the calendar or making it more systematic, how can this change?

I just read Psalm 89:14-19, & as I typed the question above, I heard this whisper from the Father for all asking the same thing:

“Your circumstances need not change, but your perspective does.

Righteousness & justice are the very foundation of My throne. You need not strive for them. Simply come into My Presence & watch them unfold.

Unfailing love & truth walk before Me as attendants. They also walk before you as you follow Me.

Happy are those who choose to worship Me in any circumstance, for even though darkness encroaches on every side, the light of My Presence will cause it to flee!

Remember-alarms serve a single purpose to keep you walking in integrity, but don’t forget that you first follow Me, & when you do, My unfailing love & Truth become your attendants.”

Oh Father, You are so faithful to whisper sweet nothings from Your Word! Your Word is timeless, always relevant, steadfast & true!

You never fail to keep Your promises! In fact You said IN Your Word, that You will never take back a single Word You said, because in Your holiness, You cannot lie!

We take You at Your Word today! May the Presence of our eternal God be the first thing we remember when alarms alert us to move. May we move only in Your wake! When tempted TO alarm BY an alarm, alert us to move in Your Presence first, reminding us that unfailing love & truth walk before us as attendants!

#OneYearBible

April 21st One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 22:21-23:16

LUKE 20:27-47

PSALM 89:14-37

PROVERBS 13:17-19

God’s Faithfulness Never Short Circuits

We recently had a light switch that suddenly seemed faulty. It controlled the light in my bedroom closet & every time we turned it on, it’d cause the circuit breaker switch to flip causing an entire portion of the house to lose power.

I’m certainly not an electrician, but what I did know is that the electrical circuit was being interrupted somewhere. It took us a bit, but we finally realized that the lightbulb was the source of the problem.

I’m a super visual learner, so that memory surfaced as I read a small verse that carries B-I-G impact in Psalm 89.

The Psalmist reminds us of the power, strength & glory of God, & then right in the middle of praise, he asks a question:

Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?

He answers himself with four simple words:

You are entirely faithful.

Wow, I thought, I know some people that I’d characterize as “faithful” but I know of none who are ENTIRELY faithful!

The etymology of that phrase means to be completely surrounded by faith, like an electrical circuit that cannot be broken.

His faithfulness a never short circuits. His power to light up a situation is always available, it’s the recipient of the power that’s the problem.

I’m not sure how it happened, but when we finally went to replace the lightbulb, we discovered that it was partially unscrewed so it was not completely connected to the source of power!

When the Israelites finally settled into the promised land, Joshua 22 affirms that not a single one of ALL the good promises God gave to Israel was left unfulfilled; everything He’d spoken came true!

We serve an omnipotent God Who is the very Source of everything we need-provision, protection, redemption, salvation & even reconciliation. He has the power to make things happen & the all-encompassing faithfulness TO make them happen! We just need remain fully plugged into the Source!

Father, forgive us for our wandering ways. We let the cares of this life cause us to wander from Your Presence & then we wonder why You seem so far away. Surround us today like an electrical circuit with Your Presence. You know our needs even before we utter a word. Thank you that You’re the ever-faithful Source of all things!

#OneYearBible

April 20th One Year Bible Readings

JOSHUA 21:1-22:20

LUKE 20:1-26

PSALM 89:1-13

PROVERBS 13:15-16