HE WOKE ME UP THIS MORNING

When I used to hear people saying, you are blessed if God woke you up this morning, I did not whole heartedly agree. I never thanked the Lord for waking me up in the morning. What I saw was if I had not woken up, then I would be in heaven with Jesus and that is far better than toiling through the day down here.

One day God gave me a different perspective. Living here on earth is an opportunity to be a light for Him, to bless others through Him, to be an active citizen of His kingdom on earth. The apostle Paul said, “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” To wake up in the morning is an opportunity for devotion to Christ, to be used by Him as an instrument and vessel for what He is doing here on earth. To die is to be with Him face-to-face in heaven, but He is still with me here on earth.

So… now when I get out of bed in the morning I can say, “Thank You for waking me up Daddy. What do You need me to do today?”

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

OUR PRAYERS MATTER (3)

James 5:16-18 (NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

What am I missing if God is not answering my prayers in the way I expect Him to? I'm strung out in disappointments when God is actually trying to accomplish something much better.

I was praying for one job, but God closed the door on it and I was very disappointed. On the other hand, He opened the door to one much better… and I didn’t even see it coming.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God hears prayer—God delights to hear and answer prayer.

Click here to go to the Our Prayers Matter Series

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

WHO AM I?

MOSES AT BURNING BUSH

Exodus 3:10-11 “Come now Moses, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses was anything but thrilled about the assignment. He immediately began to look at his own self-perceived incompetence.

Stop! Hear the voice of God beckoning you to the amazing adventure of being in over your head with Him!

Listen! There’s nobody more qualified to do what God has called you to do. There’s nobody better… nobody more fit… nobody more knowledgeable. Sometimes God's greater is the one who seems lesser.

Pray! “My God, You are able to make all grace abound toward me so that I always have all sufficiency in all things, and may abound to every good work. Thy will be done. Amen.”

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

John 10:3-4 (NLT) The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep recognize His voice and come to Him. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. After He has gathered His own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice.

Psalm 23:2 (AMPC) He leads me beside the still and restful waters.

Psalm 23:3 (NKJV) He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Revelation 7:17 (NKJV) The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters.

Amen.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

NOTHING'S TOO HARD FOR GOD

1 Kings 18:46 (NKJV) Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The hand of the Lord was upon Elijah and he outran horses y'all.

Is there anything too hard for God?

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE WORD CULTIVATES CONTENTMENT

I scrolled across the following on Steve Arterburn's Facebook page.

"We can cultivate quiet hearts for ourselves - growing contentment and peace - by soaking ourselves in God's word and presence. The more we spend time with God, reading and meditating on His promises, the more our circumstances fade into the background. When we settle our hearts on God, our perspective changes; what we have and where we are satisfies us. We don't feel like we need more to make us happy. We begin to see and focus on how far God has brought us instead of how far we have left to go. Jesus becomes more real and present, and his supernatural peace calms our hearts. The Holy Spirit can then remind us of the verses we've learned - exactly when we need them."

It's amazing that I came across this post because I felt it was a word to me from the Lord. I had said to Him, "I know You're the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. But something must be wrong here because I'm experiencing a lot of Alpha and not nearly enough Omega. There seems to be a lot of starting up and not enough completions in my life."

Steve Arterburn said with God's contentment we feel satisfied and don't feel desperate for more because He changes our perspective. So my feelings of discontentment can be resolved by meditating in the word of God.

I have a sneaking suspicion though, that some of the Alpha stuff I'm starting up might be me and not God. That is why they don't come to fruition.

I started listening to an audio recording of the New Testament, starting in Matthew, and it's blessing me already. I'm reading along with her in my Bible and I keep getting fresh revelation from Scriptures I've read many times but didn't see it.

The Lord admonished Joshua to focus on the written word of God and meditate on it day and night and carefully follow what it says. Only then could he be prosperous and have good success.

Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

So while I'm waiting for the Omega stuff to come along, I can be quite content in the right here and now because God finishes what He starts. Go in peace. 

Listen to this song called

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus by Lauren Daigle

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

RECOMBOBULATE OUR HEARTS

DISCOMBOBULATED

There are times when we may feel that God is not communicating with us, and we begin to feel a lot of confusion. We feel lost and disoriented about how and where He is even leading us as we stand at the crossroads trying to figure out what to do and which way to go. We wonder, “Why aren’t my prayers being answered?”

Young Joseph received a dream of greatness at the tender age of 17. People were going to be humbly bowing down to him. From 17 years old and until the dream came to pass, Joseph endured many hard trials. It must’ve been terribly confusing remembering the dream and seeing what he was going through at the time. The two did not seem to match up.

In Genesis 39 it says twice that the Lord was with Joseph. That says it all. Even though Joseph may have been confused about the events happening to him, he was still in the presence of God, and God had not left him for a minute.

The experiences in Joseph’s life taught him that God brings inherent good from bad situations, for those who trust Him. He has the ability to overrule evil intentions to bring about His intended purpose.

Romans 8:28 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The Bible says…

The Lord was with Joseph. (Gen 39:2, 21)

The Lord was with Abraham. (Gen 21:22)

The Lord was with Isaac. (Gen 26:24)

The Lord was with Jacob. (Gen 28:15)

The Lord was with Joshua. (Josh 6:27)

The Lord was with Samuel. (1 Sam 3:19)

The Lord was with King David. (2 Sam 5:10)

The Lord was with Hezekiah. (2 Kings 18:7)

The Lord was with Officer Phinehas. (1 Chron 9:20)

The Lord was with King Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron 17:3)

The Lord was with John the Baptist. (Luke 1:66)

The Lord was with Jesus. (John 8:29)

The Lord was with Paul and Barnabas. (Acts 11:21)

The Lord is with us…
and He says, “Surely, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

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Discombobulated means to be confused and distressed.

But recombobulate means to cause to think clearly again; to reorient and put back into working order.

Recombobulate our discombobulated hearts, O God.

Let our hearts rest in You with an abundance of peace.

Listen to this song called Always Peace by Brian Courtney Wilson

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

MY ABORTION THEOLOGY

I was watching a news anchor interview an abortion clinic director in Alabama. She made a comment during the interview that I found very disturbing. She said that anti-abortion protestors would stand outside their small clinic almost everyday with signs that said, “Babies are murdered here.” Preachers would come up to the back door, close to the procedure rooms, and stand outside yelling to the top of their lungs that God was sending them to hell to burn with fire and brimstone. They would threaten staff members that God was coming for them.

I said, “O my, Lord were You sending these protestors to the clinic with that message?” His response was, “Did you ever read in the gospels where Jesus protested in that manner?” Then He reminded me of the story of the woman who was caught in the very act of committing adultery.

John 8:3-11 (The Message Translation) The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do You say?” They were trying to trap Him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger in the dirt. They kept at Him, badgering Him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, He wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?” “No one, Master.” “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”

Matthew 7:3-5 (The Message Translation) It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

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I asked myself two questions:

What do you think is the Christian theological argument for abortion? Freedom and liberty in Christ.

What do you think is the Christian theological argument against abortion? Because I value life, and I believe Jesus also values life.

Quote by Pastor Jes Kast of the United Church of Christ... “The best person to make the decision of the immorality of an abortion is the person who has to decide whether or not it is needed for them. And if that person believes it’s immoral for them, then I would have to honor the conscience of that person and walk with them through what they would choose.”

Romans 14:4-5 (NIV) Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.

Romans 14:10 (NIV) You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Romans 14:12-14 (NIV) So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.

Romans 14:22 (NIV) So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.

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2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV) Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Jesus said in His sermon on the mount…

Matthew 5:21-22 (NKJV) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”

So, while we stand in judgment convicting the woman for having an abortion, and are angry with a brother or sister ourselves, we are no better… according to Jesus, both are in danger of the judgment.

John 8:7 (NKJV) “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

BREAKING CYCLES

Some years ago, the Lord showed me a vision… I was walking down a path and passed a tree stump. I had a vague feeling that I had been there before, but I couldn’t remember it, so I shrugged my shoulders and continued on down the path. As I passed others on the same path, I recognized their faces as we were all traveling the same journey. I came to the tree stump again and stared at it… trying to remember where I had seen it before. I still couldn’t remember so I shrugged my shoulders and continued back down the path once again. A third time, I came back to the tree stump and said, “Now I know I’ve been here before.” At that precise moment I looked up to see the other people that had been on the path with me, going on up to higher ground. I shrugged my shoulders and continued back down the path once again.

The reason the Lord sent me that vision is because I was not learning the lessons He was trying to teach me. The tree stump represents the end of a trial, that I kept coming to and not getting the understanding that the trial should’ve taught me. So as others leveled up through that same trial, I would go back through it again, and again.

A cycle is a series of "events" or actions that repeat themselves again and again in the same manner. When we come up against these "events" the enemy knows that we will react a certain way because that's how we always respond, but that may not be God’s best way of handling it. The enemy can keep us cycling through the same defeating events, if we're not careful. As I kept repeating trials, God was trying to get me to see it His way, but I was left back over and over, while others were passing the test and graduating.

The Lord said to me, "I am the great artist of your soul. You are My workmanship. As the clay is in a potter’s hand, so are you in My hands. Please let Me form your vessel." I was just focused on getting to the end of the trial, I did not see that God was changing me in it.

Psalm 25:4 (NKJV) Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, that whoever drinks of His life giving water would never thirst again, and it will be within them as a fountain springing up into everlasting life. Breaking cycles takes hard work, but it can be life changing and life giving for the individual who conquers it.

Revelation 3:21 (NKJV) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Listen to this song called Cycles by Jonathan McReynolds.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

THE SPANKING

Father of Chastisement

I was about 7 years old, and my baby brother, Ricky, was a toddler just learning how to walk. My dad told me to sit on the front porch and watch Ricky as he strolled around the front yard, and make sure he did not wander into the street. Our neighbor, Mrs. Rose, called me over to the fence and started talking to me, so that my back was to Ricky, and sure enough, he wandered into the street. She didn’t say anything, she just kept me distracted long enough for my dad to come to the door and see what was happening. He brought us into the house and gave me a spanking because I disobeyed him. I felt really hurt by the whole thing, to the point that it spun me into a depression. I laid in bed and would not eat, nor interact with anyone in the house. It was an honest mistake, and I did not feel it warranted a spanking. Having had enough of it, my mom went and told my dad that from now on, she would be responsible for spanking the children. I climbed out of bed and returned to normal activity. He never spanked me again, but this incident stayed with me down through the years.

I struggle even now, when our Heavenly Father chastens me. I never feel like I’m intentionally being a wayward child, just a human being that occasionally makes mistakes. I grew up in a very legalistic church environment. As a result, I came away with a really uncharacteristic opinion of God. To me, He was this impossible-to-please judge waiting with gavel in hand, ready to smack me over the head for every little transgression. Those lambasting sermons that I grew up on have built up deeply rooted spiritual strongholds that causes me to become offended even by a certain tone in the preacher’s voice, or how “he chooses” to express himself throughout the message.

The writer of Hebrews says that no one likes to be corrected and disciplined by God, but His discipline shows that He deeply loves us.

Hebrews 12:6 NKJV For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.

Hebrews 12:11 NKJV Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Confronting sin is necessary for spiritual growth. Let me be clear about that. Not dealing with sin can be destructive, but how it’s dealt with is also important.

In yesterday’s blogpost, I talked about Facing Up to Life’s Experiences. (Link to Blogpost) This is a good example of that tree in our front yard blocking my point of view. I need almighty God to pull these strongholds down and renew a right spirit in me. I will keep my eyes on Jesus as we walk it out day by day. Soon my picture of God will not be the mean-spirited judge leaning over his bench with gavel in hand, but a loving heavenly Father that embraces His little girl, even when she happens to mess up.

Revelation 3:19 NKJV As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

JUST ASK

God did not say I had to hold my mouth just right in order to see my prayers answered, or do a list of ten things to get Him to respond. He simply said, “Ask in My name.”

That’s all children. "Come to the throne of grace and ask Me."

Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Matthew 21:22 NKJV Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.

Mark 11:24 NKJV Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

John 14:13-14 NKJV Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 15:7 NKJV If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

1 John 3:22-23 NKJV Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another.

Anything you need, just ask... and believe... and receive.

My Previous Blogpost on Prayer:

https://richardsonblogger.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-parable-of-persistent-widow.html

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

FACING UP TO LIFE'S EXPERIENCES

Looking out our living room window there is a tree blocking my view. But if I go to the bedroom window, I can see everything. My nosy neighbor vibe likes the bedroom window because there’s a better point of view.

This comparison can sometimes be how we also view life. If life’s experiences cause us to see things with a defective point of view, that can be like the tree in front of our living room window blocking the view.

The point of view from our living room is not the same point of view as the bedroom, and the tree blocking my view is even bigger now than it was when I moved in.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. You draw light into your body through your eyes, and light shines out to the world through your eyes. So if your eye is well and shows you what is true, then your whole body will be filled with light. But if your eye is clouded or evil, then your body will be filled with evil and dark clouds. And the darkness that takes over the body of a child of God who has gone astray—that is the deepest, darkest darkness there is.” (Matthew 6:22-23, The Voice Translation).

In the movie, The Shack, Jesus told Mack Phillips that the tragic experiences of his past were consuming him inside and out, but it could be resolved if Mack would stop looking at the circumstances and focus on Jesus.

Jesus said, “Mack, don’t think about the past. Don’t think about the pain. Look at Me! Everything is going to be okay. Trust Me, none of this can hurt you. Just keep your eyes on Me. Breathe! I’m not going anywhere.”

In the moments when I feel my hope fading, and my strength growing weak, I stop what I’m doing and seek a word from the Lord. I go on Facebook where I follow all my favorite preachers and ask God to send me a word. Or… I’ll pull up my music app and find a song I can put on repeat that will feed my spirit the nourishment it needs for the moment. Or… I’ll find a quiet spot to speak to the One who sticks closer than a brother.

The apostle Peter was literally walking toward Jesus on water. As long as he was focused on Jesus he continued to walk on water, but when he looked at the boisterous waves and became afraid, he began to sink.

When the pain of your past is blocking your view, find a way to get your eyes on Jesus (the way, the truth, and the life). He will heal you everywhere you hurt.

If you haven’t seen that movie, The Shack, I suggest you watch it. It is the perfect representation of God, and His love for us.

The lamp of the body (heart, head, and conscience) is the eye (window to the soul). If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad (defective), your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6:22-23)

If the window to your soul has something blocking it, then light cannot shine through, and it will grow bigger and bigger like the tree in our front yard, and block more and more of your view of life. 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth

Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

(Sung by artist, Lauren Daigle)

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove