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The Power of The Verbs of God

Margaret — July 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Hiking, biking, painting, swimming, rock-climbing, savoring, reading, surfing, jump roping, hot air ballooning, Pinteresting, driving, cooking, visiting, kayaking.

The verbs that fill our daily lives are endless-especially here in beautiful Colorado or in chilly Alaska (where The Organic God DVD series was filmed). You’ll often find me hiking or woggling* along the trails near my house reveling in God’s beautiful creation.

But have you ever stopped to think about the verbs that describe God?

When I see God’s name mentioned in Scripture, I often find a verb somewhere nearby. God is constantly on the move. Though we may not always see him or sense him, he is actively engaged.

He is creating, making, guiding, watching, giving, listening, protecting, destroying, forgiving, saving, teaching, leading, helping, showing, and so much more.

Read passages like Genesis 1-2, Psalm 18, and Psalm 78, and you’ll be reminded that God is not stagnant.

God is fully alive. He is ever-present. He is ever-active.

No matter what my circumstances may try to tell me, the truth is that God is not only present, he has movement. God is not a spectator; he is actively engaged.

May you be reminded of God’s active engagement in your life this coming week.

What is one verb that describes what God is doing in your life right now?

A group of us around the country spent the last few weeks exploring facets of the character of God through The Organic God book and Bible study.

Take a group through The Organic God 6-Week DVD Bible Study this fall.

Because you can fall in love with God all over again.

To purchase, click here.

*Woggling is a term I coined. It’s a half-jog, half-walk. As long as both feet aren’t touching the ground at the same time, I’m still exercising.

**Photo courtesy of here

Heavenly Whispers of The Kindness of God

Margaret — July 10, 2012 — 5 Comments

Awhile back, I found myself living life in overdrive-the kind of busy where the car flies down the highway thirty miles above the speed limit, completely out of control. Maxed out, I burned the candle on both ends as well as in the middle. My relationships suffered, especially my intimacy with God.

Sick of consuming prepackaged food, I carved some time out of an already stuffed schedule to buy fresh provisions. I scouted out the shortest checkout line at the store and rushed my grocery cart to the car. While transferring the groceries to the car, a crystal-clear thought overwhelmed my mind:

I miss you.

God had spoken. No question. No doubt. A sudden sense of remorse flooded through me. How could I have gotten so busy as to ignore the One who desires a relationship with me above all else?

My eyes welled up and my soul softened as I finished putting away the groceries. I prayed a quiet but heartfelt, I’m sorry, and I miss you too.

Those of you reading along in The Organic God Summer Book Club and Bible Study probably already know this experience was one of the most tender interactions with God I have ever had. I was deeply moved, not because God’s words made me feel shame or guilt, but because they were bathed in his kindness.

In a story tucked in 2 Samuel 9, King David extends the kindness of God to another. David’s determined to show kindness in honor of his friend Jonathan. After taking over the throne, the last thing Jonathan’s family would expect from the new king is kindness.

But still David searches for a remaining relative, and Mephibosheth–a man crippled in both feet-is recognized as the last living son of Jonathan. David invites him to the royal palace. Mephibosheth awaits an execution being the grandson of the previous king.

Instead, David offers Mephibosheth property, wealth, honor and respect. Where cruelty is expected, compassion is extended. David goes above and beyond to extend God’s hesed or lovingkindness to Mephibosheth.

Just as God bathes us in his kindness, we are encouraged to spread that kindness to others. God doesn’t just want us to know that he is kind but to experience his kindness and then reflect it to others.

How has God revealed his kindness to you this week?

Close your eyes for a moment and think about some of the people in your life. With whom is God asking you to share his kindness?

**Photo courtesy of here

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Are You a Hilarious Giver?

Margaret — July 3, 2012 — 5 Comments

Anyone who has seen an episode of Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel knows that God is wild in his design. From shooting stars sprinting across the night sky to the spiky and furry creatures that scurry around, God shares his creation with unmatched generosity. When we are experiencing nature, we are experiencing a facet of the generosity of God.

Think about it. If God had wanted, he could have been stingy in his design. Two colors. Maybe three. A handful of plants. A couple of animals. One type of fish.

But instead our God paints the world beautiful with creatures and vegetation we still have yet to discover.

As I journeyed to really know God, one of the first things I searched for was what God loves. Isaiah tells us that God loves the poor, and he loves justice. Malachi 2:11 describes that God loves the temple. And many of us know that God so loved the world (John 3:16).

A lot of what I found didn’t really surprise me. But I was taken aback by what 2 Corinthians 9:7 specifically says that God loves:

God loves a cheerful giver.

I’ve read this verse many times, but I never realized its significance. If God loves cheerful givers, then I want to be a cheerful giver, too. But what does it mean to give cheerfully?

The Greek word for cheerful is hilario. It’s the word we get hilarious from.

If you see a More Funny Than Wrong photo, you may chuckle. But when you stumble across something hilarious, your body-the core of your being-responds.

I want to be a hilarious giver.

God invites us to be hilarious givers-to give not just from our wallets and schedules-but from the core of who we are, offering our talents and passions at his feet, allowing ourselves to be used for his glory.

How is God challenging you to be a hilarious giver right now?

**Photo courtesy of here

In Dive Deeper Discovery Channel, Fall in Love with God All Over Again, generosity of God, God loves a cheerful giver, hilarious giver, how to be generous, laughing woman, laughter, more funny than wrong, Planet Earth, Summer Book Club, The Organic God

Does God Call the Qualified or Qualify the Called?

Margaret — June 27, 2012 — 8 Comments

Have you ever felt as though you’re not a first-draft selection when it comes to being used by God? Have you ever felt there are other choices that just make more sense? People who are smarter, better looking, or more gifted?

If so, you are not alone! At times, we all feel hints of insecurity and self-doubt. But when God looks at us, he doesn’t focus on what we can’t do; he sees what he can do through us. In fact, sometimes the individual whom God chooses can be surprising–not only to us but also to the one chosen!

Consider Moses. He has a profound encounter with God in Exodus 3 in which God chooses him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the freedom God had for them. Moses doesn’t throw his hands up in the air and say, “I’m here and ready to go!” Instead, he argues with God, offering up a laundry list of weaknesses and doubts. Moses reminds God he has a speech impediment and can’t speak in public very well. He is not a confident leader. Yet God sees past Moses’ anxieties and knows he is the best choice. No one is probably more surprised than Moses!

Another example is Jeremiah. When God speaks to Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1, appointing him as a prophet to the nations, Jeremiah is surprised! His immediate concern is that he doesn’t know how to speak, and he is so young that no one will listen to him. But the Lord reminds Jeremiah not to allow his youth or insecurities to get the best of him. Instead, Jeremiah is to obey God with courage.

God has an amazing way of surprising us with what He’s asking us to us do! Throughout the Bible we read of men and women who save nations, lead thousands to freedom, perform miracles, and follow Jesus to their deaths. All are surprised by what God calls them to, but they still choose to answer the call.

Though you may not feel as if you’re the obvious choice for honoring God with your life, no one qualifies according to their own merit. God uses a responsive and willing heart to do amazing things.

What is something that God is calling you to that seems impossible?

Do you think that God calls the qualified? Or qualifies the called?

**Photo courtesy of here

In Dive Deeper am I qualified?, are you qualified?, Exodus 3, fall in love with god, first choice, God calls the qualified, God qualifies the called, how to know if you are ready, Jeremiah, moses, speech impediment, Summer Book Club, The Organic God

Hearing From God: The Words You Can’t Afford to Miss

Margaret — June 26, 2012 — 10 Comments

Listening for God isn’t easy.

Maybe that’s one reason I write about the topic so often. I want to hear from God, really, I do. But so many other voices cloud my mind and emotions. The noise of busyness, distraction, and competing ideas make it hard to separate God’s voice from the countless other voices that fill the airwaves of our world.

For the past several weeks, we’ve been looking at the attributes of God by diving into The Organic God book and Bible study together. We’re looking at God as Natural, Pure, and Essential to all of our lives-and in the process discovering that as we pursue God it’s hard not fall in love with God all over again.

One of the facets of God’s character that stands out to me is that God is surprisingly talkative. God speaks in the most surprising moments. This reappears throughout the Scripture-one of the most notable is in Exodus 3.

After killing an Egyptian in a moment of anger, Moses runs to the wilderness for safety. One day, while shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses spots an unusual sight. Exodus 3:2 says,

“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.”

Moses decides to explore this flaming mystery. When the Lord sees that Moses turns aside to look, God calls out to him from the middle of the bush. God chooses to call out something unique to Moses he can’t mistake that the calling is intended for anyone else: “Moses, Moses!”

Moses replies, “Here I am.”

I love this story. Through a burning bush, our talkative God calls Moses to be the leader of the Jewish people and changes his life course. From this conversation, Moses returns to Egypt and rescues the Jewish people from a 400 yearlong history of slavery, shepherding them to a land God promised.

But sometimes I wonder how many burning bushes I pass by unaware.

How many times do I miss the moment?

My hunch is more than I ever imagined. But I don’t want to miss God. I don’t want to miss that which at first glance might appear everyday but on closer inspection is a divine moment-an opportunity to encounter God.

Let me ask you: How has our surprisingly talkative God revealed Himself to you?

What has God been saying to you?

May God’s voice echo in your Spirit. May God’s Word come alive in fresh ways. And may you not miss the moment the next time God wants reveal Himself to you.

**Photo courtesy of: here.