Marydean Draws: growth

Showing posts with label growth. Show all posts

One practice that has been helpful in my spiritual life in the past few years is to increasingly pause in the multitude of my thoughts and anxieties, and ask, "God, what do you want to say to me right now?"

"Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David." (Isa 55:3 ESV)

It's a discipline that I'm growing in. It is not independent of God's Word, but flows out of it, as God applies it to my specific situation and thoughts. That's why consistent study and growth in God's Word bears so much fruit, even if it doesn't seem to be relevant at the moment of study or learning.

Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Discipline, talks about the practice of meditating on Scripture. He writes, "Whereas the study of Scripture centers on exegesis [interpreting the text], the meditation of Scripture centers on internalizing and personalizing the passage. The written Word becomes a living word addressed to you."

I think of this Scripture:

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 ESV)

As I talk to my girls about situations they are experiencing, I'm trying to teach them to listen for God's voice too.

"God speaks to you? What does He sounds like?" they ask.

"He speaks to me through His Word and through the Holy Spirit that lives in me and you, but you have to practice listening to Him. I'll pray that He speaks to you too."

After encouraging one of my daughters to pray about a situation recently, she excitedly recounted later that God had given her a picture of a particularly truth that comforted her.

I can think of no greater comfort I could offer anyone.

❤️

Today's screensaver from Isaiah 55:3. I didn't have time to get the Spanish version, but I'll try to add one soon (drop me a line if you're interested)! You can click on the image below and save it to your phone.

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, thank you (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file.

**affiliate link. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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May 1, 2019

Hear, that your soul may live + Isaiah 55:3 Screensaver

Occasionally, Facebook will let me know that a friend has marked his or herself "safe" after an earthquake, a terrorist attack, or a hurricane.

As we face a new year, can I encourage to mark yourself "safe" in all the ways that matter?

Sometimes I face the new year with a bit of fear. Will God be there as He has been in the past? Sometimes I face it with some cynicism. God, you didn't really fix that thing I've been praying about. Are you even listening?

Last night, one of my girls had some pre-new-year's panic. All of sudden leaving 2018 behind felt like leaving something warm and familiar and she wasn't ready.

I'm in the middle of Dallas Willard's exposition on the sermon on the mount (The Divine Conspiracy**), and in the chapter on Jesus' teaching on anxiety, Willard sums up Jesus' words:

"'We have no reason ever to be anxious.' 'This present world is a perfectly safe place for us to be.'"

Perfectly safe. Really? That seems a bit rosy, don't you think?

The world can seem so scary to me. At any time I could be marked "not safe" on Facebook!

Because I'm a news scroller, I know lots of ways that people and kids die. Then there's global warming and the threat of nuclear war. I've gardened enough to know that my family would not survive some post-apocalyptic nightmare world if we were forced to feed ourselves off the random vegetable I coax out of the dirt.

"'We have no reason ever to be anxious.' 'This present world is a perfectly safe place for us to be.'"

Jesus doesn't tell me not to worry because it's cute and He's naive. He doesn't pipe in with pious sayings as we pat him on the head and say, "That's nice, Jesus."

No. He's laid out a way for us to build our lives on the rock of His teaching (Matthew 8:24-27). Peace is possible in a walking, working, growing relationship with Him--the one who hold all things together (Colossians 1:17).

Even in the crazy storms, I mark myself self:

✔️ saved, not condemned for my sins

✔️ filled with the Holy Spirit

✔️ eternal life starting now and continuing to eternity (i.e. death can't hold me or my loved ones)

✔️ loved and cared for deeply and personally

✔️ called to a purpose--to be like Jesus

✔️ equipped with a way to live (the Word)

My son (who turns four on Monday) has been having bad dreams. The little felt figures we use for our advent calendar popped out and terrorized him in one dream. I took the calendar down after Christmas so he'd stop giving it the evil eye and shuddering every time he passed. As I took out the figure of Mary, he said, "She was the leader."

super scary Advent calendar

So I pray for my little buddy before he sleeps. I tell him God is close. I tell him God is like a warm, heavy blanket made of sunshine that wraps him up and keeps him safe. And I pray for him to have good dreams.

And it works--God works.

"Mama, tell me about the warm blanket," he reminded me last night.

Friends, if panic starts to set in, if the weight of all your to-do's or undones burdens you, tell yourself about the warm blanket of God's love for you. Mark yourself safe in Him.

"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:38-39 ESV)

I made you a phone screensaver to remind you of this truth. You can get it by clicking on the image below and saving it to your phone.*

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE!

January 1, 2019

Marked safe in this new year + a safe phone screensaver

I'm turning 39 (wow!) this Saturday and yet it's my very first time observing the season of Lent. I grew up in a Baptist-ish tradition. My dad was a Southern Baptist pastor who joined the Navy as a chaplain. We attended some Southern Baptist churches growing up, but because we were often part of military chapels, my upbringing was rather ecumenical: "The hanging of the greens," advent candles, stations of the cross, dunkings, sprinklings, wafers, and loaves of bread--a denominational potluck. I even got to be in a Gospel choir at one chapel (and never could quite sway in the right rhythm).

But somehow Lent, and most of the traditions of the church calendar, never seemed important to me. Although my church now is by no means traditional, in recent years we've come to see the value of orienting our year around the rhythms of some of the church calendar. Even as a mother, I know the power of simple routines and daily rhythms in the lives of my children (just visit our home when the children and I have missed our daily rest time!).

We have been observing the Advent season the last few years, and now this year, we're preparing for Easter with a season of Lent. If Lent is new to you too, it's a tradition of observing a season of repentance, prayer, and fasting in the 40 days (not counting the Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to resurrection Sunday.

What better preparation for celebrating God's grace poured out than to first take a look at the "sin that so easily entangles" that necessitates that grace in the first place (Hebrews 12:1)?

As a church, we have been asking ourselves what God would have us to die to, so that we can experience more of the treasure that is Jesus and the life that He offers.

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8 ESV)

I won't share here what I'm "giving up" for Lent, but I will share the questions I have been asking myself that led to those choices:

What do I reach for when I feel needy?
What fills my mind and keeps me from being self-controlled, sober-minded, and prayerful? (See 1 Peter 4:7)
What keeps me out of the Word? What am I "eating" instead of the "words of life" from the "bread of life" (John 6:35; John 6:68)?
What gives me a little boost of joy, but is short-lived, causing me to have to go back for more. (For example: checking the mirror, social media scrolling, eating, shopping, gossipping, boasting in myself, controlling my environment, working for the attention of others, planning my future.)
What motivates my reaching for these things? Am I looking to feel important? Distracted? Validated? Entertained? How am I trying to fill a need that only Jesus can fill?

My pastor posed the question this way: where in my life is the most chaos and brokenness? That is likely an area where dying needs to happen.

We desperately need to hear from God about these matters. Only the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, can peel back the complicated layers of our thoughts and intentions.

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

There is a principle at work in the Scriptures and seen in our Savior's life: there is no life without a dying. To have the life God intends for me, something in me must die.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25 ESV)

Any season can be a season of dying and resurrection, but sometimes it helps to have something, like Lent, on the calendar to remind our idol-prone hearts. I know I have needed it.

Whether you observe Lent this season or not, I know that Jesus longs to give you abundant life, but it first requires you to be willing to follow Him into death. I'm praying you would let Him lead you there today.

Jesus has gone before you. He is trustworthy, and His grace makes following Him possible.

And that's good news!

Today's printable Bible verse coloring page is from John 12:24-25a. You can download your page HERE or by clicking on the image below.*

PRAYING the Word

Jesus, without even realizing it, I am entangled again in sin. I have run after things that are rubbish compared to the surpassing worth of knowing You. Give me a heart that knows that true value of things, and a distaste for the empty things the world offers. Show me the things in me that need to die. May I have confidence in your great mercy and hope in your steadfast love. Prepare my heart to celebrate the resurrection this year.

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE!

March 9, 2017

My first lent + John 12:24-25a Bible Coloring Page

"And as he [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth." And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." Mark 10:17-22

A couple of weeks ago, I fussed at my girls when they interrupted my attempt at some work in the middle of the day. This is a battle I fight periodically--to make a happy marriage of my ideas, my ambitions, and what I think God has called me to do, with this other amazing calling to be a mom and wife. There is also the struggle not to make this "good thing" become the thing that is better to me than my Jesus. So tricky . . .

My husband commented on my poor attitude and then I saw it for what it was.

I told my girls (after shedding a few tears), "I'm sorry I fussed at you."

And instead of "It's okay Mom, you're normally so sweet," one said, "It's okay, we're getting used to it."

Ugh.

A blow to my self-righteousness. I resist these blows, trying to deflect them on other people or maybe my body chemistry. Everything in me wants to justify myself. I can quickly list all the reasons I can't possibly have a good attitude or exercise a larger measure of patience.

The rich young man in the Mark 10 passage above seems to want justification from Jesus too. "Why yes, son, you have been extremely good. I'm impressed and you have my approval" . . . is what he longs to hear, but isn't how Jesus responds.

That approval would have made the man momentarily happy, but would leave him enslaved to his love of money.

Jesus just loves him too much for that.

Jesus gently ask the man to do something painful that cuts to the heart of his identity, so that he can come and follow Jesus in freedom.

In the same way, Jesus loves you and me too much to leave us in our sin and idolatry, our striving for empty things to fill up our hole-ridden purses.

"You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes." Haggai 1:6

But this process of setting us free will be just as painful for us as it was for the rich young man. Our sense of our own goodness has to go. Ouch.

As we walk with Jesus, He confronts our idols, using circumstances, various trials, and basically "all things" to conform us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). It reminds me of this passage in Hebrews:

"For they disciplined us [referring to earthly fathers] for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." [Heb 12:10-11 ESV]

Like the Edward Mote hymn, My Hope is Built, so beautifully expresses, Jesus breaks down our sandcastle foundations and replaces them with a towering palace built on Himself alone.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,

I rest on His unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood.

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh may I then in Him be found.

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne.

When I needlessly fuss at my children or bicker with my husband, or muddle up my friendships, I'm finding there is great freedom in simple humility. And isn't that the only appropriate response for a child of God living under His great grace? I don't do humility well, but I'm learning from Jesus:

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:5-8 [ESV]

Humility helps me accept correction from others. Humility helps me to overlook what I perceive is an offense (Proverbs 19:11). Humility helps me apologize when I'm wrong. Humility helps me listen to my business clients and meet their needs without feeling like I always have to be right or in control.

There is a lightness to humility. There is a confidence that comes from resting in the mercy of Jesus alone.

Sin is more harmful than we imagine, and has a greater grip on us than we like to admit. But, because of this, the Gospel is also better news than we realize, and God is more gracious and compassionate than we understand.

That's good news friends.

Today's printable Bible verse coloring page is from Mark 10:18b. You can download your page HERE or by clicking on the image below!*

Mark 10:19 words of Jesus printable Bible verse

PRAYING the Word
Thank you God that you are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love to a sinner like me. Thank you that by grace, you are transforming my mind to be like yours. Keep my lowly and humble, unafraid to look at my sin, so that I can repent and find grace and receive mercy. Thank you that I can approach you with confidence because of your great love, bringing nothing but my contrite heart. (See Psalm 86:15; Hebrews 4:16; Psalm 51:17)

QUESTIONS to consider:

1. How is the truth that "no one is good but God alone" actually good news?
2. In what ways do you try to justify yourself before God?
3. How would an attitude of humility serve you well in your relationships with others and with the God who loves you?

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE!

February 23, 2017

No one is good + Mark 10:18 Bible verse coloring page

Bible verse coloring page "the body of Christ" 1 Corinthians 12:14-16, 18

I don't always feel like I fit in as an artist. I don't watercolor, do calligraphy, paint, or make anything classy, sophisticated or fancy. I draw cute illustrations and write about the Word, but sometimes that feels very small.

Maybe that sounds silly, but I'm guessing you feel the same way about some area of your life. The lane you're in feels narrow and somewhat cramped. You look across to friends speeding by in their own lanes, doing their things, and you think that it's time to try harder or that you're somehow just not enough.

It's been a journey for me the last few years defining what I do well as an artist and learning to put my blinders on and accept this lane that I believe God has me in.

I think this has some application for us who follow Jesus and belong to His body, the Church. Here are a few ways I see myself, and others, struggle with "finding our lane":

We think that because we are not this or that, therefore we don't belong. We focus on the many things that we're not. The things that we do feel empowered to do seem so small in this big broken world that we live in, or in comparison with someone else's abilities.

Or, at the other extreme, because of the gifts we're given, we feel like it's all up to us. This leads to puffing up because, in the diversity of the body of Christ, others are really different than us, and then it leads to despair because we know our deficiencies.

Other times I think we hold back on our giftings for fear of being "too much." Too forward. Too confident. Too talkative. Unfeminine.

Maybe you're not even sure what your giftings from God are or how you fit in with the Church at all. Maybe you're so new in your faith that you haven't had enough experience to see what God is empowering you to do to build up the Church.

If you struggle in any of these areas, I want to lay down a few simple truths from the Word that I hope encourage you.

1. You are a body part, not a single-celled organism. You cannot function alone.

"For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." (Rom 12:4-8 ESV)

2. God arranges the body as He sees fit, in His sovereignty. Our job is to remain connected to Jesus, the Head, doing what we're designed to do.

"For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose." (1Co 12:14-18 ESV)

What are the implications of these truths for the struggles I mentioned?

If you belong to Christ, you belong to His body. You may feel different from the body of Christ God has placed you in. You may look different. You may think differently and talk differently. You may have a different background and set of experiences.

Maybe you're single and everyone else is married with kids. Maybe you're married with kids and everyone else is single. Maybe everyone else grew up in Church and you grew up knowing nothing at all about Jesus. Maybe your personality and interests make you feel like the odd-one out.

But let's not believe the lie that we don't belong.

By the way, if you see things differently, just maybe you bring something to the body that is missing.

Notice that everything is disorganized and chaotic in your small group? Maybe God wants to use your administrative gifts to bring some order.

Notice that the lessons for the kids need to be more meaty? Maybe God has called you to teach or help develop better materials.

Overhear a conversation about the how terrible abortion is and (while you agree) all you can think of is the past God redeemed you from and grief for women who make that choice? Maybe God has gifted you with mercy for the broken.

Hear a friend talk about her deep anxiety over a work situation, and your heart wells up with encouraging words and a desire to help? Maybe God has gifted you with encouragement.

Hear of a friend who is sick and you immediately think of the things she might need (childcare, food, etc)? Maybe God has gifted you to know how to help others.

We need each other. Alone, no, we are not "enough." It's okay that our work is limited. We need to learn to think of ourselves with "sober judgment."

"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Rom 12:3 ESV)

You were designed with certain deficiencies, not because God doesn't like you, but so we could depend on each other. That means than if you're not part of a church body, you can't function in the way God has designed.

Don't like the church? Yes, she's broken and sometimes ugly, so broken that Jesus had to die to redeem and cleanse her. Because the body is made up of redeemed, yet still sinful people, it ain't gonna be peaches and cream this side of complete redemption, folks. We look more like a construction zone than a finished project. But in my experience, this crazy labaratory for the Gospel (I wrote about that HERE) has taught me more about God's shocking grace than anything I've ever experienced.

Let's always keep in mind that Christ died for the body, to make her His own. He did not reject Her, so neither should we!

The body will be very diverse. Think of a thumb versus a spleen (what does a spleen even do?). So different, yet imagine functioning without either (just googled "what does a spleen do?" and you don't want to be without one). Your sister in Christ may function in the body in a completely different way than you. Be her cheerleader. Encourage her. Value her, even if you don't completely understand her importance.

God is in charge of the body. Everyone He brings to your Body brings something you need. And beyond our local church bodies, God sees the entire body of Christ spread out across your city, your state, your country, and the world. He is orchestrating it all.

"But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose." 1 Corinthians 12:19 (ESV)

Use your giftings boldly in the Spirit because you are trusting God to work.

"I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began," (2Ti 1:5-9 ESV)

Paul reminds Timothy that the Spirit he was given is not characterized by fear, but by power, love, and self-control. What do you think Paul meant when he told Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God"? Later he tells Timothy not to be ashamed of the message of the Gospel.

Maybe Paul is encouraging Timothy (and us) to not be crippled by fear, but be empowered by the Spirit for the work prepared for us to to, all "not because of our works, but because of His own purpose and grace."

In what ways has fear cripples the work of God through His Spirit in your life?

Have you unknowingly bought into any of Satan's lies about your place in the body of Christ?

Is your local (and beyond!) body of Christ benefiting from your presence, your gifts, and even your needs (ie. the opportunity to serve you)?

The maturity and stability of the body of Christ is at stake here, which is sobering to me.

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." (Eph 4:11-14 ESV)

I made today's printable Bible verse coloring page from 1 Corinthians 12 to speak some truth to our hearts. You can download your page HERE or by clicking on the image below!*

PRAYING the Word

Jesus, I need your Spirit to help me function in your body as you've designed. Help me to fan into flame the gifts you've given me. Help me live by your Spirit, not my flesh. Forgive me for believing any lies about my place in the body.

QUESTIONS to ask about the verses:

1. If we are to view believers in Christ as a body, what does that mean for how we see each other?
2. In what ways do you struggle with how God designed you to function in the body?

3. Are you functioning well in the body of Christ? What is holding you back?

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! Use for Bible studies, church groups or events, and Sunday school classes are all fine! If you're in doubt, I'm happy to answer any questions. All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE!

October 12, 2016

All that I'm not, body parts, and fanning the flame + 1 Corinthians 12:14-16, 19 Bible verse printable

As I wade through various circumstances in my life, this verse comes to mind, so I'm sharing this artwork with you today!

It takes courage to wait on the LORD to move in us, to move in others, and to move in our world.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:3-6 ESV)

I recently started reading "How People Change" by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp (which has been great for my heart and which I got for free for my Kindle, along with a lot of other great Kindle books from David C. Cook ebooks, which you can sign up for HERE--which is a whole lot of "whiches," I now see).

Lane and Tripp write about the above verses in Philippians:

"No matter what you face today, you can be encouraged that God's good work continues in your life, even when you don't see . . . As you have that tough conversation with a friend, you can say to yourself, 'Christ is working right now to complete what he started in me. As you struggle with your finances, you can say to your spouse, 'We can get through this because Christ is working right now to complete what he has begun in us.' . . . do you see the problems through the eyes of Christ, with hope in his presence, his work, and his power to change you?"

(Scripture card from the "Graced Life" set in the Etsy shop)

That Jesus is at work in my mess gives me such hope, the kind of hope that helps me to "wait on the Lord; be of good courage, be strong; Yes, wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:14).

PRAYING the Word
Give us the courage and strength to wait on you, Lord. Help us see our circumstances through your eyes, knowing that you are up to your good and glory in all things.

QUESTIONS to ask about the verses:

1. What is particularly hard for you to wait for right now?
2. Why does it take such courage to wait?

3. How can you know when it's time to wait and when it's time to act?

Today's printable Bible verse coloring page is from Psalm 27:14! You can download your page in English here or in Spanish here, or by clicking on the images below!*

*I'm so happy for you to enjoy my coloring pages and printables for your personal (not commercial) use! All artwork and photos are copyright Marydean Draws. If you share this, you're awesome (!), and as a courtesy, please link back to this post and not the PDF file. Thank you!!

If you like this, you can get these posts in your inbox by signing up HERE! You'll also receive occasional news from my Etsy shop.

June 27, 2016

the courage to wait + Psalm 27:14 Bible verse coloring page (Spanish + English)

"And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord"

God, I'm sorry you're not getting the best of me these days. I was feeling discouraged with myself (DING! DING! DING! Discouragement with myself is the opposite of putting my trust in the Jesus, right?). I was discouraged with my "devotional times," or lack of them. I don't have a beautiful, daily, focused time of "devotion" in the prayer and the Bible, and I've definitely never been a morning person. My read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan petered out in 2 Chronicles . . . two years in.

At the same time, I love the Lord and His Word, and He's always teaching, training me, and correcting me.

How would Jesus, my friend and Savior, reply to this idea of my "best time" for Him? Is my guilt from Him? Is He disappointed in me?

I wonder if Jesus would chuckle and motion me over to His side, pat the seat next to Him, and explain a few things.

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24

Maybe He'd say something like this: "Mary, I get the 'best of you' all day long. There is no slicing and dicing up your day and your life to what's devoted to me and what isn't. It's all mine."

Interacting with my husband as we parent, manage our home, and navigate our marriage. Training and teaching our children. Taking care of our home and yard. Blogging. Emailing. Talking to neighbors and friends. Praying for wisdom with a stubborn child. Taking care of my body. Grocery shopping. They're all "devotional" because they're for Him.

"Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:9-10

Check-list discipleship seems more manageable than this demand for my whole life to come under His reign--as it is in heaven. We feel "right with God"when we've checked off a number of "devotional" activities. But then we feel guilty because we can't complete our checklist or we've got an unrealistic checklist that God didn't give us in the first place.

Elyse Fitzpatrick writes that "When we try to make hard-and-fast rules that are more far reaching or more specific than God's law, we are actually opening the door for sin and failure . . . because adding to God's law doesn't make it easier to obey; it makes it even more impossible to follow than it already is . . . . Failure to live up to human additions to God's rules always produces guilt, and guilt never produces grateful obedience" (Good News for Weary Women).

In addition, "hey, come and let me teach you to be an imperfect, stressed-out, discouraged, and burdened rule-keeper just like me" is not good news. Who wants to pass that around the neighborhood? That thinking doesn't motivate evangelism from the heart (only as a checklist item).

No, good news says Jesus fulfilled all righteousness, the Divine checklist, and took the penalty of our failings. He is the only one that makes us "right with God." Checklist making and keeping never could.

"Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?' Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.'" John 6:28-29

Jesus calls us to a moment-by-moment, all-encompassing relationship with Himself, which He has already secured for us.

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Galatians 5:16-18

Friends, in order to "walk in the Spirit," we need to hold tight to the pure principles of God's Word and learn to filter out man-made rules, as "right" as they might sound. I think we (at least I observe this in myself) tend to see God lead us to obey His Word in a specific manner in a certain season of life in a way tailored to how we're made, and it works so well that we want to set that up as a model for everyone else. We blog about it, write a book about it, share it with our Bible study girls. "10 steps to . . . whatever." Better parenting. Better Bible study and prayer. A cleaner home. Raising children who clean up after themselves.

The problem is not this advice-sharing. The problem is when we make absolute something that God hasn't. And maybe no one is even saying these things are absolute, but somehow they've seeped into our hearts as such, producing guilt in us. They've led us to methods and not to Jesus, to checklists and not to walking in His Spirit (where there's freedom).

This is really tough for me, all of it, but the freedom that is possible for us is worth the sorting out, don't you think?

As Elyse Fitzpatrick puts it, "So iron those shirts . . . or don't! Eat acai berry-laced gluten-free pancakes . . . or don't. Get up at 4:17 a.m. to do your devotions . . . or don't. The Lord has given you the freedom to seek to serve Him in whatever way He has wired you to. And then, in all the ways you fail, He also gives you His righteousness" (Good News for Weary Women).

And that's good news.

Today's printable is from Colossians 3:23-24. You can download your page here or by clicking on the image below!*

PRAYING the Word
Remind me that my whole day is yours and everything I do is serving you. Help me work at it from my heart, knowing my reward comes from YOU.

QUESTIONS to ask about the verses:

1. What does it mean to work heartily?
2. Who are we really serving with our work?

3. What has God asked you to work at right now? How can this verse encourage that work?

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the courage to wait + Psalm 27:14 Bible verse coloring page (Spanish + English)

devotions, the best of me, and checklist discipleship