Tracy’s Thoughts Day 7

The 3 Fs

Wow depending on when you are reading this, we are on the edge of 1 week down only 2 more to go or you could say, a third way through, or two thirds to go…. Oh my how I ramble. Great job, this 21 day journey is moving fast and furious.

Today, my thoughts turn to Issac and Rebekah. Their whole story is pretty interesting. Rebekah is quick to follow a complete stranger to marry a man she has never met. (Talk about married at first sight) Fortunately, Issac sees Rebekah and is instantly in love. Fast forward, childless, Isaac prays (looks like he learned a lesson from his dad Abraham. Don’t sleep with your wife’s servant, even if she says you can!) hip hip hurrah twins are born; oh, but here’s where it gets interesting and our first F – favoritism. Each parent likes one of the children just a little bit more.

Now I’m an only child, and one of the blessings of being an only child is, no competition. In fact, through the years I’ve had dozens of people ask me how I like being an only child? I’ve always had the same answer, “Great, I’ve never known anything different”. I will tell you though, my parents made a concerted effort when I was young, not to spoil me rotten. My parents once again, showed a lot of wisdom and went out of there way not to show favoritism to my three children and I’ve tried to follow this example.

Favoritism is a lose, lose situation for everyone involved. For Jacob and Esau we see it play out in dramatic fashion. The Bible is clear that favoritism is not for our lives. It’s not in Gods Character. I’m reminded of several scriptures that show us God doesn’t play favorites. (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9 to name a few)
If we think about it, isn’t that great news for us! God loves us ALL! Everyone of us are so special to Him. He loves us on our good days, He loves us on our very bad days, and all those days in between, unconditionally. In fact, He’s never going to love us any more than He loves us right now. That thought only, only makes me want to love Him more and more! I bet you do too💗.

Let’s pray, Lord, instantly that song comes to my mind that says, “Oh how He loves you and me, Oh how He loves you and me, He gave his life what more could He give, oh how He loves you, oh how He loves me, oh how He loves you and me”. Help us grasp, how truly deep and wide and high your love is for us! In Jesus name amen
Ps I didn’t forget about the other two Fs, sorry you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow 🙃

Tracy’s Thoughts Day 6

Hateraid

Wow, days do seem to be flying – is that just me? If your on this journey with me, I’d like to say thanks. This is something new for me (the devotional) and I really appreciate all the encouragement I’ve received. 😇

Doing a Daniel fast, like so many are; (side note, went to Walmart to buy some broth and the shelves where bare…crazy) I can’t help thinking about Daniel and all he went through in his life – he’s got to be one of my all time heroes. What an example of a godly life! Here he is going about his business and the only dirt his enemy’s have to trap him is his devotion to God and his prayer life! Talk about not being ashamed of the gospel. As the story goes in Daniel 6 those drinking the hateraid go to the king and set up a trap to get rid of Daniel. The king buys the flattery hook line and sinker, and then we see later in verse 14 that he regrets his decree and try’s to get Daniel out of the mess he created.

Here’s my thought, how many times have we made hasty decisions only to spend countless hours trying to figure out how to get out of them. Now, I don’t think this king was a stupid guy, you would think he could have seen through these flatterers. I think he was just caught in the moment, high on the mountain top, top of his game, sure sounds good, why not… only to realize later his pride could cost his friend. That my friends is the rub in all of our lives. It’s the “i” in pride that gets us every time.

Now the story has a great ending, Daniel is not eaten by the lions, the king has a revelation about who should be worshiped, and the bad guys get eaten by lions. Oh by the way, the king ends up on a fast too (Vs 18), I bet Daniel wish he had fasted and prayed before the decree! Fasting is a sure way to rid yourself of pride that leads to bad decisions.

Let’s pray, Lord, we confess that we daily have to deal with pride and sometimes the bad decisions that come along with it. Help us daily to seek you more and more, keep us from those sins that so easily besets us. I’m so thankful that even in our haste you are there always ready to help us when we call. Thank you Jesus! Amen

Tracy’s Thoughts – Day 5

Run For It

Wow, it’s already day 5 almost a full week down. By now I bet you’ve hit a rhythm and the fasting part is getting a little easier – if not hang in there. 😇
I hope today you have your sneakers on because I just can’t get away from the story about Lot. You know there’s a lot about Lot I really don’t want to think about! I mean really, he’s offering up his sweet girls to ALL the men of the city, to keep them from molesting his Angelic messenger guys? Then, he hesitates on leaving this horrible city!

In verse 17 of Genesis 19 the angels order them to run and escape to the mountains, but Lot begged them to let them run to a closer little city. Here’s my thought, I wonder if Lot had obeyed the instructions of the angels and kept on running, maybe his wife would have been far enough away from Sodom and too tired to be tempted to look back? Later we read in verse 30 that he ended up in a cave in the mountains anyway. How much better would his life had been, if he had just headed there in the first place?

I think we must be honest with ourselves and face the fact that sometimes our disobedience causes the ones we love to suffer needlessly. Maybe not as dramatically as turning to a pillar of salt, but affected negatively just the same. I’d like to think that what I do only effects me, myself, and I but that’s just not how this life works. Everything I touch leaves some DNA and I can leave my mark in a good or a bad way. That goes for everyone of us; our choices and decisions we make everyday change lives, good or bad. So why don’t we choose today to spread some light and make it a better world.

Let’s pray: Jesus, today with the help of the Holy Spirit I ask you to help me be someone you can use to make this world a little better. Help me to give hope to those who are discouraged, help me to use the gifts and talents you’ve given me for your glory and not my own. Let it become real to me that there are people in darkness that need some light, don’t let me stop short of where you want me to go and what lives you want me to touch. In Jesus Name Amen

Tracy’s Thoughts Day 4

Oh Baby

We are on day 4 of our 21 day journey (hip hip hurray) you are doing awesome!
So many times as I read through the Bible, usually in my comfy climate controlled environment, I think about the hardships of those I’m reading about. Now I’m not talking about the extremes, like Mary riding a donkey about to give birth, or John the Baptist in the wilderness wearing camels hair eating locusts, or Paul… I don’t even want to list everything he went through! I’m thinking today, more about Abraham and Sarah, Lot and his wife. (hmmmmm do we know her name, perhaps Saline – ok bad joke) It’s the heat of the day, Abraham is sitting around when here comes these wonderful messengers from God to tell them about the son they will have this time next year. They’re done with their visit and are about to leave when The Lord sees fit to tell Abraham of his plan to take out Sodom & Gomorrah where nephew Lot lives. (Genesis 18)

Here’s my thought: why did those messengers have to spoil the moment? Have you ever had that happen? You just received some fantastic news when boom – bad news comes banging at the door. Poor Abraham, finally a timeline on when he and Sarah are going to have that long anticipated baby and now what, Lot and his family destroyed? Talk about a downer.

I think if we look carefully we can see why The Lord wanted to share the information, it’s found in verse 19 it says, “l have singled him (Abraham) out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” The Bible says in verses 18 that all the world would be blessed through Abraham. I think it was one of those teaching moments that any good father gives to their children. A cause and effect moment; bad people doing bad things equal bad results or maybe good people around bad people equal better get away while you can or bad will happen to you.

Our world may not be quite as bad as Sodom, but I’m reminded what it says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled bad company corrupts good character.” I want to live a life that makes people thirsty for what I have, I don’t want to be so entrenched by this world that I find myself like salt which has lost its flavor.

Let’s pray, Lord today I thank you that you have given us your Word. It really is a lamp to our feet and helps illuminate our path. Thank you for people in the Bible that we can look to as examples both those who walked the straight and narrow and those who even looked back and turned into salt. Help us to shine our light in the darkness and when we get too close to wandering from your path give us that wake up call. Our heart is to be more and more like you Jesus. Amen
Ps The good news is, at least Abraham could sleep well knowing he’d done all he could do. Not sure I’m bold enough to barter with God. 😉

Tracy’s Thoughts Day 3

Less of Me, More of Him -/+

Has this ever happened to you; you have a thought (no, not the one about the pizza – we’re on a fast, remember) and you can’t get it out of your mind? You know it’s from The Lord but your not sure why He’s speaking it to you. Then, all of a sudden you have it confirmed and your so excited. Now here’s the thought – why are we excited after the confirmation and not before?

This recently happened to me. Over and over in my quiet time I kept hearing the phrase “less of me, more of Him”. In fact, I even looked up the old song we used to sing with that phrase in it thinking maybe The Lord wanted us to sing it at church. Every day, it became my prayer, Lord help me to have more of you and less of me. Then right before the fast I visit Jentezen Franklins web page and there it is, graphics and all! LESS OF ME, MORE OF HIM! -/+

John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me”. It’s my prayer today that I become so in-tuned to His voice, that when it’s confirmed, I simply keep following and listening, knowing sometimes He’s speaking in a still small voice.

Let’s pray: Dear Lord, today I pray less of me and more of You. I thank you for your confirmations because they do encourage us to know we truly are hearing your voice. But help us grow in our walk with You that when we don’t have a “confirmation” that we can walk confidently knowing that we, your sheep do hear your voice. Yes Lord, more of You, and less of me.

 Tracy’s Thoughts  Day 2

Finding Favor

So far we’ve made it to day two of our 21 days of prayer and fasting. Hopefully your flesh isn’t screaming, but if it is, tell it to hush we’ve started on an important journey and we are going to finish with The Lords help.

I’ve started reading through the Bible (as I’m sure many of you have) and in Genesis 5:29 we read that Lamech had a son and he named him Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.” Verse 30 says after The birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595 years and he had other sons and daughters.

Here’s my thought: where the heck are all of Noah’s brothers and sisters when the ark is being built? Until this year I never even thought about Noah having any other siblings, maybe it’s because I was an only child, maybe it’s because I’ve always drifted off when I’ve been reading these endless accounts of the Adam’s descendants. This year verse 30 stopped me in my tracks.

What made the difference in Noah’s life? Why was Noah a righteous man and his siblings not? We can only assume that Noah’s parents raised all of their children the same; but Noah was the only blameless person living on the earth. I think we see the answer in the rest of that verse – and he walked in close fellowship with God. That’s the difference CLOSE fellowship with God. Here’s the good news, God wants close fellowship with all of us. All we have to do is draw near to Him and He will draw near to us. (James 4:8)

I feel sorry for Noah’s siblings, they were left out in the rain. 🙁 But I’m following great grand pappy Noah’s example and I’m looking for the rainbows!

Let’s Pray: Lord today we want you to take us by the hand and lead and direct our lives. May we always walk in close fellowship with you. Don’t let the things of this life distract us, but help us keep our focus on you! Amen

Tracy’s Thoughts Day 1

Give What You Have

Just a little background… It all started New Year’s Day, my sweet husband told me he thought everything was good to go on our website for our annual 21 days of fasting but (pause) it sure would be nice to have some kind of fasting devotional; maybe we could add a link? My answer to that was why don’t you write one? His answer, “oh no, not me” and he left it at that. I just couldn’t get the thought out of my mind and thus, Tracy’s Thoughts was born. So we begin this 21 day journey, I hope it will be a blessing to you.

I’ve always been amazed at Jesus’s miracle of feeding the 5000. (Matthew 14:15-21) Here they were in the desert, listening to The Master teach and its getting late. The disciples I guess, realized if they didn’t dismiss the crowd pretty soon they were about to have some hangrey people on their hands. But what does Jesus say? “You give them something to eat.” Of course, all they have is a little boys lunch of loaves and bread. Let’s stop right there… let’s think about that. Are you telling me out of all those people only one boy had the common sense to pack a lunch? I doubt it, but I think we can take away from the story that this boy was willing to share. He gave them what he had and then it was multiplied!

The blessing comes when we give Jesus what we have. He takes it, blesses it, and multiplies it. Look what happened, not only were people fed but they got to take home leftovers! This year let’s be like the little boy, let’s give Jesus what we have. It might seem small in our eyes but in The Masters hands it can become much!

Let’s pray: Jesus today, as we begin this 21 day fast, help us to give you what we have. Don’t let us hold anything back. Don’t let pride and insecurity keep us from being used by you. Above all let us listen and trust you and then obey what you say. We look forward with anticipation at all you want to do in our lives.  Amen
Ps Next time I’ll try to pick out stories without food. Lol 🙂