Tag: Holy Spirit

Martha, Martha

Posted on by Dorci

“As they went, He (Jesus) entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came to Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Then tell her to help me.’

Jesus answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed. And Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her.’” Luke 10:38-42

Ouch. As a fellow Marthaian, reading these words of Jesus have always made me cringe a little bit.

Have you ever had thirteen people, or more, (including the Son of God) show up at your house unannounced to hang out for a while? What do you do? Maybe you start by running to the fridge to scrounge up something to drink. And what about food? Are they staying for dinner? What could you put together? You start pulling all the food you can find from every shelf and drawer, you think as fast as you’re sweating, taking out pots and pans, plates and cups, you run around the table setting it…  And you’re getting more and more frustrated by the minute.

But maybe it doesn’t end there. Maybe you’re busy finding enough chairs and cleaning the bathroom and washing the dishes and sweeping the floor, and on and on and on.

That was Martha. (And yes, I may have been known to exhibit this kind of behavior.) And then she stops, out of breath.  She can’t take the stress of it all anymore, and she marches herself over to Jesus.

“Don’t you care?”

In other words, aren’t you paying any attention? Haven’t you noticed that I’m doing all this work by myself and I’m stressed out?

Jesus’ answer to Martha was “you are worried and upset about many things.”

He had noticed, and He did care. He saw all Martha was trying to do. He saw she was trying to serve, and while that’s a good thing, He also saw she was doing it with an anxious and frustrated heart. And so He waited until she got to the end of herself and came to Him. I can imagine Him holding out His hand to her, inviting her to join them.

I know how hard it is to stop worrying and racing around trying to do all the things that need to be done in a day, a month, a lifetime, and just sit at Jesus’ feet.

Yes, some things need to be done, but some things can be left for a day, a month, or altogether. There are always things to be done, but Jesus calls us to come sit with Him.  

Martha was worried about giving them temporal food for their bodies but Jesus wanted to give her and the rest of them eternal spiritual food for their souls.

He knows we can do nothing without Him. Anything He calls us to do He wants us to do, not with anxiety, but in His strength, with His wisdom, His knowledge, and most of all, His love. Our first and greatest need is always to sit at His feet and learn from Him.

Who knows, if Martha had joined the rest of them, maybe afterward Jesus would have set a meal before them a la “wine at the wedding in Cana.”

I think we all have at least a little bit of Martha in us sometimes. We can get so stressed about life that we wonder if God even sees what’s going on in our lives. Doesn’t He care?

He sees and He cares, more than we can imagine. He knows that’s why we need Him. In the midst of it all He wants to give us His wisdom, to prepare us for things to come, to show us His will, to give us rest for our weary souls.

Sometimes God has ways of making us sit. When He has something to show us He will hold out His hand to us, one way or another, inviting us to come sit at His feet. And when we do, He’ll make a provision for all those things we are worried and upset about.

For weeks after my stroke He made a way for us to have dinner first by our church family and then for six months by our gracious neighbors. My husband took over many of the responsibilities I’d always had, and my job was to heal and to seek Him, to read His Word, and to write what He’d show me.

It’s been a hard road of frustration and sweat and venting. And every now and then I try to get up and run around, worried and upset about many things. But He keeps “double-naming” me like He did Martha, not in a condescending way, but with love and compassion, and He pulls me back to the thing that’s needed most: sitting with Him and letting Him feed my soul.

 

 

Heavenly Father, we know this life is short and you have much to teach us. Help us not get sidetracked and instead do the most important thing: spend time with Jesus. As we do, please give us His mind and heart and transform us by the power and love of your Holy Spirit. We trust you to provide and make a way and we give you all the glory for what you’re going to do. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, amen.

A Prayer to the Lord of the Harvest

Posted on by Dorci

“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’”
Matthew 9:35-38

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We praise you, Lord, that you are a God of compassion. Your compassion for the world caused you to send your Son to die on the cross for our sins. Then it was your compassion for each one of us that caused you to draw us out of the world to Yourself that we might live as your children, reflecting your bright light of love and truth to those around us.

Lord of the harvest, we ask you to send out workers into Your harvest field. As the world grows darker and evil becomes more apparent every day, we pray you would equip us with your eyes of compassion that we might see people around us as you see them: lost and in need of a Shepherd. Give us your heart of love, grace, and mercy, and let our words be the words of your Holy Spirit, filled with His power to soften hearts and open eyes to the truth so that there will be a harvest of righteousness in abundance.

Give us wisdom, discernment, and boldness as we walk in faith to whatever harvest field you call us, whether it’s to our next door neighbors, our friends, our family, across town or across the world, to share your truth in love with anyone you would have us. Prepare their hearts, Lord, and ours.

May you bind the work of the enemy, and keep us in prayer, as you open eyes, hearts, and doors for us, Lord, and give us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

In His mighty name we pray, amen.

What God’s Doing – God’s Plans are Greater

Posted on by Dorci

At church this morning, among other things, we talked about the demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes. (Mark 5 and Luke 8)

This tortured man had been staying in the tombs among the dead. The demons that inhabited his body had such incredible strength and power that even though the man would be chained and his feet shackled in irons, the demons broke free. “Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.” (Mark 5:5) What a horrifying existence. I can imagine he thought he would never be free of this hellish nightmare.

Jesus and his apostles landed there after a treacherous trip across the Sea of Galilee. Though the man probably didn’t know who Jesus was, the demons did, and the tortured man ran, fell on his knees before Jesus, and worshipped Him.

Jesus called out the impure spirit, who called itself Legion because there were many demons in control of the man. The demons had to obey and Jesus granted their request to be sent into a herd of pigs nearby.

I can’t imagine the relief of being restored to the land of the living. Well, in a much less dramatic way, I can.

The Bible says the man was now dressed and in his right mind. Jesus and his friends were now getting back in the boat.

It would seem Jesus had gone to this region for the sole purpose of freeing this man from the demons who’d had him bound. But why?

The man begged to go with Jesus. After all, he owed Him his life. But Jesus said no. He told him to “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19) 

So the man returned to Decapolis and began telling people his story of the miracle done for him, and about the Lord Jesus who’d done it.   

We’re all called to different ministries. Some are meant to serve in one way, and others in a different way. The way we’re called to serve may not be our first choice, and there may be different reasons for that. But God has a plan. He sees the Big Picture, the beginning from the end. He sees the choices we’ll make, the illnesses we’ll have, the circumstances we’ll find ourselves in, but His plans will not be thwarted.

There were a lot of things I wanted to do for God. I was filled with dreams of serving Him in certain ways. Some I was able to, but many more I wasn’t. I had one obstacle after another and even though I still tried, circumstances kept getting worse and I had to give up those dreams. So I began to write. And maybe that was God’s plan all along.

I may not have been demon-possessed, but I was sure chased down by some early in life and drawn into some things that only Jesus could have delivered me from. God used today’s teaching to speak to my heart and remind me of this powerful testimony and that He has a plan to use it, to be content with where He has me, and even joyful at the prospect of His plans for me. I’m still here so who knows what He has planned for the future.

When we give our lives to God, His plan for us will be even better than what we might have chosen for ourselves, and He’ll fulfill not only His plan for us, but for the Big Picture, one that’s greater than any of us knows or can see.

At the time, Decapolis was comprised of ten Greek cities.

One of them was Damascus, where Saul would later be headed to persecute Christians before Jesus knocked him to the ground and called him. Saul, the man we now know as Paul the apostle, continued on to Damascus where a disciple named Ananias was called by the Lord to restore Paul’s sight and take him to the other disciples there. Here is where Paul began his ministry, preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. And of course Paul went on to write at least 13 books included in the New Testament.

Another city within Decapolis was Philadelphia, one of the churches written about in Revelation to whom Jesus sent a message through John acknowledging His love for them.

The formerly-demon-possessed man with an extraordinary testimony wanted to go with Jesus to serve alongside Him, but Jesus wanted to use him in a different, even greater capacity – to go and give his testimony, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ around Decapolis, planting seeds for future harvest.

What’s God speaking into your heart?


PS – If you need prayer, please let me know.

 

Heavenly Father, wherever you have us right now, if it’s not our first choice, may we not be discouraged. We trust you have a plan for our lives, one you’ve had from the very beginning. May we be filled to overflowing with your Holy Spirit that we might be fruitful, and with hope and joy at the prospect. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

15 Years!

Posted on by Dorci


Hello!

I’m doing a little bit of celebrating today. It’s been 15 years since I started God Treasure, four and half years first on Blogspot, and ten and half here.

I was encouraged to write by a couple of friends years ago. Then when my health took a dive and I wasn’t able to serve Him in other ways, I finally took the plunge into devotional writing.  I’m so thankful He’s allowed me to serve Him this way. Or maybe, (just maybe!) that was His plan all along.

Nothing takes Him by surprise. He knows the beginning from the end and vice versa.  He knew what my life held, all its craziness, before Christ and after, and I’m sure this was His plan from the beginning, and why He began planting seeds through those friends so long ago.  

And maybe that’s what this has been about, a way for Him to bring healing to my heart, a heart that’s held more pain than a heart should be able to hold, but for Him. Only He could heal a heart like that.

Even though I delve into scripture, I still sit here every time in front of a blank screen, not knowing exactly where the Lord and I are going.  But I pray, and the Holy Spirit gives me direction.

He’s always showing me things I didn’t know, having given me more “aha!” moments than I can count that have led me down a fifteen-year path of tears and joys. He teaches me first, bringing healing to my own heart, and through that, He’s equipped me with understanding and compassion to help show others how faithful our God is.  

I hope and pray the Lord’s brought hope and bit more understanding to even a few through my own discoveries, and maybe a bit of comfort that whatever you’re going through, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, in so many ways, over and over again.

So, from my healed, and healing, heart to yours, thank you for reading. I hope you’ve found something to take away for yourself. l hope you’ve grown deeper in love with Jesus, learning you can trust Him more and more, and then taken Him out into the world as salt and light for others.

It’s been my story, and maybe yours, too.

 

As always, if you ever need prayer, or you’d like me (and the Holy Spirit!) to attempt a particular subject, I’d love to hear from you. You can leave a comment here, email me, or message me on the blog’s Facebook or Twitter pages.  

His,
Dorci

 

 

2023 National Day of Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

 

Hello Friends. Well, today is our National Day of Prayer. It seems each year we need it a little more than the last. This year’s theme is Pray Fervently in Righteousness and Avail Much, taken from James 5:16b – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

When we ourselves are walking uprightly in the Holy Spirit, not grieving Him, but being sensitive and obedient to His leading, and actively praying according to His will, our prayers will be powerful and we will see the Lord work mightily to move mountains.

You can find all the information on this year’s Day of Prayer, its history, events, livestream, and more, here.

Our Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, exalting and praising the mighty name of Jesus the Christ, the only name under heaven by which we can be saved. LORD, we pray for ourselves first. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 23-24)

I repent of my sins and ask you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I lay down those sinful deeds and thoughts and take up your righteousness, and with it your peace and joy. May my life be salt and light to those around me that you would be glorified in all I say and do. Fill me with your love and compassion for the lost and all those you put in my life.

We lift up our nation to you, LORD, its churches’ leaders, government leaders, schools’ leaders, and leaders at home. We pray for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit to open the eyes and hearts of those who’ve been blinded, to convict of sin and bring about a revival for the salvation for many, and revival among those who have known you but have been drawn into the world and become complacent.

We pray for your mercy, that you would bind the enemy and his lies and deception. We pray for the healing of those who would answer your call, believing on the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.

May we humble ourselves and turn back to you as a nation, looking to you in all we do. May you heal us that we would again be a light to the world of your goodness and faithfulness when a people put their trust in you and in your Holy Word.

Thank you for hearing our prayers, and we thank you in advance for what you’re going to do.

We pray it all in the name of our Lord Jesus, our Savior, amen.

Just Jesus

Posted on by Dorci

There are days when it all gets overwhelming, and this time I’m not talking about the trials of life. I’m talking about all the articles, the teachings, the books that remind us Christians how to have godly marriages or singlehoods, to remember to present the gospel to others, and what about who’s right and wrong about those disputed ideas in God’s Word, and don’t forget to serve God, and repent, and what to do when suffering, and sowing and reaping, and don’t do this and do do that, and, and, and…

And those are good things. We need those things. But sometimes I think we can get so caught up in all that that we can begin to try to do it in our own strength, to shoulder the burden of the Christian life ourselves. And some days I just want to reset and say to myself and to everyone –

Just Jesus.

Just focus on Jesus and He’ll lead us in relationships; just abide in Jesus and He’ll give us the desire to make disciples; just rest in Jesus and He’ll open His Word to us and give us wisdom; just remain in Him and He’ll sweetly convict us of any sins He wants to help us with. Just walk with Jesus and He’ll walk with us through suffering. 

Just keep relationship with Jesus first and He will do it. His Spirit who is alive in us will give us all we need to love, to forgive, to walk in power, strength, and courage, to be victorious in this life.  

So when it gets overwhelming and you don’t know the answers, you have no strength, you don’t know where to turn, just Jesus.

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke (zugos – to join, a coupling) upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
Matthew 11:28-30


The Eternal Symphony

Posted on by Dorci

Recently I was blessed to attend a symphony performing the music of the incomparable John Williams. You may or may not recognize that name, but you will recognize some of his masterpieces.

Not only is he a decades-long accomplished conductor, but he’s composed the scores for some of our most beloved films: Schindler’s List, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws (one of my favorites!), Saving Private Ryan, Fiddler on the Roof, Indiana Jones, and yes, every single Star Wars movie, and so much more. 

Soaking in the beauty of each arrangement, I watched as each section played in perfect unison, and every section harmonized with the others.

Dozens of individual sounds, while beautiful on their own, but together, as they followed the direction of the conductor, each sound contributed to form a symphony that touched the soul. 

Even within sections where all were playing the same instruments, each person had a slightly different way of holding their own, of sitting, of moving…

Some would periodically move back and forth across the stage to play more than one instrument. Most musicians had moments when they sat during a piece, waiting for their cue from the conductor. Some waited longer periods of time and only occasionally played their instruments.

As I listened to the waves of the violins, the pounding of the drums, the moaning of the cellos, the ting of the triangle, the crashing of the cymbals, this poetry set to melody, I couldn’t help but think of you and me. 

God has given each of us an instrument, if you will, a gift to bless those in the kingdom of God, and to be a light of His love touching souls in the world. 

We have different gifts, none more important than the others, but each one complimenting one another to accomplish God’s composition, the beautiful, eternal plan our Father has written.

As we keep our eye fixed on our Conductor, following His instruction, waiting when we’re called to wait, contributing as He directs us, not exactly like another but as the Lord has blessed us in our own way, that we can fully realize our part alongside our brothers and sisters in our Father’s grand orchestra. 

For those who know Jesus Christ as our Savior, God has given us, at this time in history, a part to play. Don’t despair if your part doesn’t seem as active as someone else’s, or if your instrument is different than another’s, or you seem to have longer (or shorter) waiting periods, or you have one gift while someone else has more than one. 

Each one of our parts is vital to the symphony God has planned. 

And one more thing. The word symphony is derived from the Greek word sumphōnia meaning unison of sound, a concert of instruments. 

That word is used one time in the Bible in the telling of the parable of the prodigal son.

The son had left the father, squandered everything he had and was left destitute.

He’d come to his senses and journeyed home, his father running to greet him. Though the son had been resigned to being a mere servant of his father, his father would have none of that. He embraced him, clothed him in his finest, and joyfully received him back as a son, and a grand celebration ensued. 

As the older son was coming home, “he heard music – sumphōnia – and dancing.” Luke 15:25b

Of course God doesn’t need any of us to accomplish His will, but He’s chosen to bless us with gifts that we might be part of His eternal composition.

As we each perform our gifts, God causes them to be used together to bring some to the Father for the first time, and some to return to a loving, trusting relationship with Him. The echoes of that orchestra will reverberate forever.

Could there be any more beautiful symphony than that? 

 

* * *

 

Heavenly Father, help us be sensitive to the prompting of your Holy Spirit to serve you with the gifts you’ve given us. I pray, too, for those who aren’t sure what their gifts are. Please show them how you’ve gifted them and how you desire they use those gifts in their own unique ways to accomplish your grand purpose. Thank you, Father, for your grace and mercy in allowing us to be a part of what you’re doing in the lives of others, and may we always be careful to do it all bathed in prayer and with your love. We ask it all in Jesus’ precious name, amen. 

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer of Gratefulness

Posted on by Dorci

Our dear, precious Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name, the name above all other names. We are overwhelmed at your goodness and provision. Thank you for seeing us and our needs long before we have them and for providing in ways we could never think or imagine.

We praise you and thank you for the move of your Holy Spirit on various groups around the world. May salvation, repentance, and the joy of your Spirit continue to spread as far and wide as your will determines, and may no one stop it.

Where space or facilities or food, whatever is needed, may you please provide. 

May revival come to all our hearts by the power of your Holy Spirit.

We pray, too, for those impacted by the many disasters around the world. May you comfort the grieving, may you provide whatever is needed, and may you give strength and courage to the workers. Above all, LORD, we pray for the drawing of your Holy Spirit for salvation. 

There is no one like you, LORD, and we praise you and thank you for all you are and all you do. May our hearts be ready to honor and glorify you with our lives at all times in all circumstances. 

We echo the words of our brother Paul:

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

We pray it all in the mighty name of Jesus, amen!


I pray you carry the joy of the Lord with you throughout the week. As you abide in Him, may His Spirit fill you and rest on you to give wisdom, direction, and produce in you every fruit He provides. May His love lead you in all you do and say. 

In Him,
Dorci

Sunday Praise and a Prayer For the New Year

Posted on by Dorci

Hello! I pray your new year is off to a good start. And whether it is or isn’t, let us remember that the Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He is with us no matter how deep and dark the trial may be.

He will give us the strength and courage to endure, and not only to endure, but as Jesus tells us in John 10:10, He came to give us not only life, but an abundant life. That word for abundant, perissos, means beyond, superabundant, superior, excessive, exceeding abundantly above, beyond measure…   You get the idea. 

This is God’s will and promise for us who walk with and in His Spirit. 

So let us set our hearts and minds on Him and let Him be the very reason we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28) and watch what He will do!

I’d love to hear from you throughout the year what God is doing in your lives so we can praise and glorify Him together. And if you ever need prayer, please do not hesitate to leave a comment, email me, or contact me through the blog’s pages on Facebook or Twitter. 

In Christ,

 


“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

***

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and precious name. As we seek you each day, may we make choices that glorify you. We thank you in advance for what you’re going to do, how you will provide for us in every situation, and for the abundant life of your Spirit, your love, joy, peace and all the fruit we bear as we hold onto you through our Lord Jesus Christ, and may the world sit up and take notice so much that they, too, will know that in you and you only is life. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

The Light of the World

Posted on by Dorci

 

Darkness filled the earth. It had been 400 years since God had spoken, the last time through the prophet Malachi. 

“‘Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,’
Says the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 3:1

Generations had come and gone since then and the silence persisted; the darkness remained. People came and went, having no idea when, or perhaps even if, God would speak again. 

Then one night, as some lonely shepherds in a field kept watch over their sheep, the light of the glory of God pierced the darkness. An angel stood before them with this announcement:

“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” 
Luke 2:10-11

And before they could catch their breath, a host of angels appeared before them, too, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, 
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:14



God had broken the silence. His Word, the Messenger of the covenant (spoken of in Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27) was born among them, and with Him an everlasting hope.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16

God’s love shone into the world that unsuspecting night. He’d come! The long-awaited Savior, born as a humble babe in a manger, sent that all who believed in Him would be born anew, filling each heart with a never-ending peace and joy, and the promised light of His presence shining in and through us, forever piercing the darkness.