by Donya Dunlap | Nov 8, 2016 | How Great is Our God, Random
Today, millions of Americans will exercise their civic duty and vote for the next President of the United States. As has been said repeatedly throughout the last months, this election may be the most important election of this generation. The result of this day’s election will impact not only our country, but the world.
Election Day brings with it many emotions. Legitimate concerns press upon us from all sides. We feel the pressure of history, patriotism, and moral obligations. These are not light considerations.
The state of the Union is in a precarious position, but the state of my heart is secure in Christ. I can honestly say that above the concern of what may come, the following five conditions describe my spirit as I prepare to cast my vote.
Grateful
Today I am grateful. Not only am I a citizen of the great country of America, but I am eligible to vote. This is a freedom earned by many brave, vocal, passionate women that have come before me. By casting my vote today I acknowledge their dedication to freedom and equality for all—and I thank them.
Prayerful
I was convicted this weekend by the fact that I have only prayed according to my personal concerns, and not for all the candidates as potential leaders of our country. Forgive me Lord!
I now ask the Lord for the salvation, wisdom, and discernment for every presidential hopeful regardless of the election results. And tomorrow, regardless of the results, I will continue to pray for the President Elect knowing that by respecting the office, I show deference and respect to my God who moved among the corridors of time to bring about this moment in our nation’s history.
Surrendered
It is not lost on me that many of my friends and family, neighbors and churchgoers will be disappointed tomorrow regardless of the results of today’s voting process. Every person has a unique view on the issues due to our unique worldviews. This should not be cause for divisiveness, but for mutual respect and love, knowing that our God is for us all, and He is in control.
I think of Jesus giving to Caesar that which was due him and Paul encouraging Christians to pray for government leaders during times when Christians were being beheaded, burned alive, and tortured for sport under Roman rule. Regardless of who becomes our next President, my responsibility is to honor those in positions of authority as I honor Christ. I surrender my heart and bow my knee to the King of kings. I trust Him to raise up the leader that He desires in order to bring about His kingdom on this earth according to the Scriptures.
Satisfied
It seems an odd descriptor, but during these tumultuous days, my heart is satisfied. Proverbs 19:23 states,
The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.
I can think of dozens of ways that my freedoms and even my person can be harmed by the results of this election. The religious and personal liberties I have enjoyed are being threatened. So how can I be satisfied? Because my hope is in the Lord.
You can strip me of my rights. You can imprison me or beat me and it will be no surprise to the God who holds me in His hand. My days on this earth are numbered. When my time comes, I will be in the presence of God for eternity. No one can take that away from me. And it turns out, He’s all I really need.
Hopeful
I hope that the results of this election are positive. It is my prayer that the candidates meet Jesus as Paul did and radically change in submission to God. I hope that America continues to be a beacon of liberty to the world. I hope that the church rises up and makes a difference in their communities turning hearts back to God. My hopes are high. I
pray toward these ends. But above all, my hope is in Christ.
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. – Proverbs 21:1
Yes, this election is important. This Election Day will likely be one of the most significant days in this countries history. The well-being of our nation will be impacted in significant ways. But the state of my heart is secure in the One who raises up one king and takes down another. I have nothing to fear.
by Donya Dunlap | Oct 9, 2016 | Bible Study, How Great is Our God, The Spiritual Life
Psalm 9 returns to the theme of David lamenting his enemies, this time on the worldwide scale of the nations. However, he chooses to pause in the midst of his pain to look up.
Verses 1-2
David begins with an explosion of thanks and praise to God for who He is. The first two verses are charged with emotion and a sense of commitment to the Lord.
Verses 3-6
Moving from praise of God’s person to praise for His actions, David speaks of his enemies and God’s victory over them. He takes no praise for himself, but praises God for being a righteous judge. God leaves nothing behind. He wipes away the enemy, their cities, and their memory.
Verses 7-10
In this next stanza, David continues praising God, building on the truths of the first six verses. The Lord’s throne is eternal in the heavens. His rule is over all nations forever, but not as a tyrant. God is a fair ruler and a refuge for the oppressed in times of trouble. He is a leader people trust because of His track record. He is faithful and has not abandoned His own. This is important to remember in times of darkness. You may feel alone, but God is there. He will never leave you.
Verses 11-12
Verses 11 and 12 echo the previous thoughts with force. Even when God allows death to occur, He does not forget the afflicted. He takes an account of those who shed blood and brings judgment upon them. Not just physical blood either, but emotional and spiritual abuse too. God is not blind. He sees. We can take great comfort from this in our own suffering.
Verses 13-14
With the above in mind, David prays for rescue. He asks for God to remember his affliction. He pleads for grace, which leads to additional praise.
David never withholds or waits to praise God. While I might wait to see how God chooses to answer my request, David lifts up songs of thanks in the midst of his trial and trusts that God will come through for him. He demonstrates faith not tossed about by circumstances as James 1:5-7 instructs.
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.
Verses 15-16
The next verses reveal a bit of God’s sense of humor. David rejoices that the nations have fallen, and reveals that it came about by their own hand. This seems to be a repeating theme in David’s writing. The nations are caught in their own nets. You reap what you sow!
Verses 17-18
David repeats that the wicked will perish and the oppressed will be remembered. This gives validation to our feelings of loneliness and abandonment, but shines on them with truth. God sees. He knows. And He will make all things new.
Verses 19-20
In closing, David pleads with God to act. God has His own timeline for bringing about justice, but He also hears the prayers of His saints. David ends with words applicable then and now,
Let the nations know they are only men.
Let us remember the same!
This post is Day 9 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
To receive email reminders of new posts, please subscribe. As a thank you, you will receive a free ebook, The Wonder Woman’s Manifesto.
by Donya Dunlap | Aug 5, 2016 | Bible Study, How Great is Our God
Isaiah 45 is a prophetic message from God to Cyrus, founder of the Persian Empire, written some 200 years before his birth. Centuries before the events would transpire, the Maestro of heaven planned to use an idolater, the ruler of a pagan nation, to free Israel from captivity.
I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
Isaiah 45:2-3 KJV
Israel’s Dark History
The years Israel spent in captivity were trying for God’s people. They were forced to leave their homeland and serve wicked kings whose only concerns were power and fulfilling their passions. The stories of Esther, Nehemiah, Daniel and others reveal that one wrong move by a Hebrew could find him in prison, tossed into a pit of lions, hanging from gallows, or thrown in a fiery furnace. Yet through it all, God had a plan.
God told Cyrus that He would give him “treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places” to prove that He was in control. Cyrus might have been king of Persia, but in truth, he was nothing more than one instrument in the vast orchestra under God’s command. Later in the passage God says that He plans to use Cyrus, even though Cyrus was not a believer, for the good of His people to bring glory to His name.
Look Up
It can be easy to look at the wickedness around us and feel discouraged. Like Israel in their captivity, we too are in a foreign place. Heaven is our home. Our souls long for the New Jerusalem just as God’s people longed for the old. It looked hopeless, their chances at returning home. Thankfully, our God can use unbelievers to do His bidding just as easily as He can use His children.
If you are in a dark place right now remember, both the prisoner and the prince are in the hand of God. Our lives are fluid. God brings about trials both to keep us dependent on Him and to keep us humble. Regardless of our current situation, God’s ultimate plan is always for our good and His glory. We can rest in this truth.
When Darkness Comes
A.W. Tozer said,
It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.
Over and over again, the Bible tells us of the deep struggles men and women have had to endure before God could use them in a mighty way. Our history books tell us the same. Abraham Lincoln. George Washington. Winston Churchill. Eleanor Roosevelt. These and many more have had to go through deep waters of pain and struggle in order to become great inspirations for others to follow. We will not be exceptions to God’s plan.
If are to be greatly used by God, we must be molded into useful instruments. This can be a painful process. But during these times of transformation, He will provide for us glimmers of hope. These “treasures of darkness” are God’s gifts to let us know He is with us and He is in control. He didn’t forget His people Israel, and He won’t forget us.
It’s been three months since my mother passed away. These months have been full of sadness and instability. But they have also been times of renewed friendships, answered prayer, and unexpected blessings. God has not forsaken me in my trial. He has given me treasures to cling to—lights in the darkness. He won’t forsake you either.
Your Current Reality
As I stated in my last post, “joy is a treasure hunt.” Take a step back from your circumstances for a moment. Look at your situation as if you were above and can see all the pieces like God can. You won’t be able to see the final destination, but you can find the treasures. What blessings have you overlooked that you should thank God for? What gifts has He provided? Look carefully.
I encourage you to read the rest of Isaiah 45:1-7. It’s a wonderful passage full of truths I could never cover in a single post. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
In the month of October, there will be short Bible Study posts similar to the one above on the first 31 chapters of Psalms. To receive email reminders of these and other new posts, please subscribe. As a thank you, you will receive a free ebook, The Wonder Woman’s Manifesto.
Resource: Cyrus – All the Men of the Bible © 1988 Zondervan. All Rights Reserved
by Donya Dunlap | Jun 28, 2016 | How Great is Our God, The Spiritual Life
BUT GOD.
Don’t you just love those two little words? Two little words can change everything in an instant. Two little words that cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, the barren to be a mother of children, and the dead to live again!
Joseph had a BUT GOD testimony that resulted in an entire nation being saved from a slow death by starvation. The children of Israel had a BUT GOD moment, delivering them from the Philistines after leaving Egypt. Samson had a BUT GOD moment bringing him refreshment and encouragement after a difficult battle left him depleted. David had a BUT GOD moment when he was told Solomon would build the temple in his place. All wonderful examples of God’s sovereignty and intervention in the lives of His children, but my personal favorite is recorded in Acts 13:29-31:
And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. BUT GOD raised him from the dead.
Forgiveness of sin, a home in heaven and endless fellowship with our Creator for the whole of mankind was made possible by those two little words. Even in death, God can bring new life.
Sometimes the end is just the beginning.
On Friday, all hope was lost. The Messiah was mocked, beaten, crucified and placed in a tomb. His disciples were frightened, disillusioned and hopeless with no where to go, but back to the Upper Room. It was there that they shared their last meal with Jesus, but then moments later, failed Him when He needed them most. BUT after all this GOD raised Him from the dead! Hope was restored, lives were made new and a world was turned upside-down with the Gospel.
God is in the business of redirections.
In the midst of the darkest of times, if you pay attention, you can feel the gentle hand of an all-knowing God on your back, leading you to places of blessing and glory to His name. Many, many times God said no to my plan so that He could show me that His plan was far more than I could have imagined.
Life is full of illusions.
There will be days when it seems all is lost. There will be seasons where Satan sends the floodwaters of doubt and pain sweeping through your life, taking from you all you hold dear. You may face years where your children abandon the truths you so diligently taught them. You may wake up one day and learn your spouse doesn’t love you anymore. Your business may crumble. Your checkbook may be in the red. Your internal landscape may seem forever painted in gray. Don’t lose hope! God’s strength is not determined by how you feel and what you face. He can and will carry you through it all.
What you see is not always what you get. These two words tell me that God can use my disappointment to set the stage for a bright tomorrow. This is where faith enters in. Will you choose to trust in the hope that you cannot see? Will you praise Him in your storm?
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalm 107:8
Do you have a special “but God” moment in your life? If so, I’d love for you to share your testimony in the comments below. You never know how your story can encourage someone in pain today.
by Donya Dunlap | Aug 24, 2015 | How Great is Our God, Random
When I see the moon,
I remember that I am small and God is vast. From ages past, His Word brought forth the unimaginable beauty of the universe, its glories teasing us with sprays of stars and globes of light, breathtaking in the raging fire of one and cold emptiness of the other.
When I see the moon,
playing coyly behind the clouds, shimmering about their edges, I smile as I would at a child peering behind his mothers skirt. Such a simple task, to paint the white with silver strokes. Yet a noble task to break the black with cratered smile and grant the world a bit of hope.
When I see the moon,
and all its faces, I think of how quickly life passes from one star lit scene to the next. Its cycles shift from silent dark to brilliant awe, and everything between, while earth beneath and sky above remain faithful, constant in their mystery.
When I see the moon,
I think of lovers, poets, and kings, all looking heavenward to view the same expanse. United in our differences, we melt into nothingness beneath its glimmering gaze. Oceans blue part lands of green, but people cannot be seen from its rocky ridges floating high.
When I see the moon,
I am reset by the knowledge that its Creator and I have a bond unbroken by tides, and seasons, throughout untold ages yet to come. The night whispers calm my anxious heart. The echoes of light illuminate a longing for a home just beyond my breath…
When I see the moon.
by Donya Dunlap | May 11, 2013 | How Great is Our God, The Spiritual Life
While Jesus never changes, my view of Him has dramatically changed over the last several years. I talk of this shift in our relationship in Forgetting the Fairy Tale, but in essence, it boils down to two words.
Wonder. Glory.
My wonder at His glory.
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. – Psalm 97:1-6
When I stopped everything long enough to meditate in the wonder of Jesus as Creator and the vastness of His creation it changed me. I haven’t been the same since that moment and I don’t care to go back. My life is so much richer and fuller today than ever before. I explain more here…
https://vimeo.com/64947405
Curious about the videos that changed my life?
Click the links below to watch them on YouTube:
How Great is Our God
Indescribable (Part 1 of 5)
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI Click here to view the above image and other breathtaking sights in our universe on NASA.gov
