Bitter/Sweet

Proverbs 27:7
A person who is full refuses honey,
but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry.

Today I am struggling a bit on this verse. First of all, I am a honey lover. So all I can really think about is how sweet it is. I know this verse is not about the actual taste of such things so I am going to try to go deeper with this. Lord help me!!!!!

When I was younger, before I had a relationship with God, it seemed I was always looking for something more. I was hungry for something I didn't have. I searched and searched. Mostly looking for my father or some sort of stability or acceptance. When I didn't find him, I settled with whatever would fill that void or that hunger for that something that was out there. When I was no longer satisfied, I would move on to the next and best thing at the time. In a way that meant that I was willing to try it out, even if it was "bitter" because to me it was "sweet". It was something more than what I had at the time. Now, I consider myself pretty full, I know there are a lot more things in my life that need to be tweaked and molded, but for now, I feel that I have filled that void, or that hunger. I would never refuse honey, but I am content, fine with what I have now, I really can't see myself ever looking for something new and something better, I have already found the best. My relationship with my God doesn't ever get bitter, it doesn't ever run dry or stop feeding my hunger. See, I have a living relationship with my creator and each day is new and fresh.

I have a plaque on my wall that I refer to often and it sorta kinda fits into this.

"Dear Lord, make my words as sweet as honey for tomorrow I may have to eat them!"

It is simple, yet we must make sure that what we say today is put into action for tomorrow. Or we will constantly be hungry. Hungry for the truth, the life that God wants for us. Have we been searching for something and can't find satisfaction? No matter how "sweet" it seems at the time, are we living for ourselves, for others, or for God? Which one do you think would be more consistent, more rewarding?

Dear Lord, I thank you for my friends and family. I thank you for my "history" because I was hungry for more and I found you. Lord, I know I will never have a relationship with my earthly father, but I thank you that you are so much better, so much sweeter than anything I have ever experienced. I pray that I will continue to be full with you, that each day a little more of myself will die off and that I will become a better reflection of you. Lord, I pray for those who are reading this, that they to will be full with you, that they will no longer hunger for things that will not last, will turn bitter over time. Amen.

Please continue to pray for Anna B. this week.

Bitterness Day 5

*Praise *- our dear friends Jen & Duong have returned safely (and with one more child) from their 2-year placement in Germany! Praise to God for their experiences there and that they are "home" as we have missed them so much. *Prayers *- prayers for God's hand to be over a big financial decision my husband and I are making -and that it will lead us out of the enemy's debt trap and into opportunities to pursue Him in new ways. Kelly H.

Dear Friends and Family, I hope this email finds you all enjoying your summer (or winter if you're on the Southern Hemisphere!) The reason I write today is to ask you all to be praying for me. There is the possibility that I may be going back to New Zealand in ONE MONTH as opposed to going back in ONE YEAR. As many of you know, my adventure with YWAM has had a huge impact on my life and my walk with God and it was no surprise to me (or a lot of people for that matter) that it was put on my heart to staff a DTS (Discipleship Training School) even prior to leaving for outreach. When I got back to Oregon, I started seeking counsel and praying about when I should return to New Zealand. Many times I was for sure that I would be staying in Oregon for a year but the idea of going back to New Zealand for the 2008 Backpackers DTS keeps coming up in many different ways, so now I am seeking your prayers for clarity as I don't have a whole lot of time until I would have to leave. The only concern of mine at this point, seeing as there is only one month until I have to leave is finances. A couple people have suggested that I "lay a financial fleece." After praying about it, I have a figure in mind and now I am excited to see if Oxford is where God wants me to be. The Basic Leadership School (BLS) (a school under the YWAM umbrella) is the school that I would be attending as staff. In all, with lecture phase, outreach, 2 BLS books, and in country transportation, the total cost is about $3,000.00 plus round trip airfare (could be around $2,000.00). If you or someone you know are interested in financially supporting this possible adventure, please let me know before August 11 (but no later than the 18th) as I need to let YWAM Oxford know as soon as possible if I will be returning this year. My prayer was simple and looked a little like this, "Lord, I have no idea where you want me- New Zealand or Oregon. If you want me in New Zealand, I need confirmation that I will have $ ___ by August 11th." At this time I am looking for prayer supporters, monthly supporters, and one time supporters. Many of you may wonder how my mom feels about this--- to be honest, I have not yet told her. Until I know FOR SURE that God wants me back in New Zealand, I don't think it would be wise for me to share with her that I could be leaving. Please continue praying for my mom as this could be VERY shocking news for her that I might be leaving sooner than she thought. Thank you to you all for joining me on this crazy crazy journey that God has me on. Hugs, Love, and Blessings Galore,-- Rachael

Praise God for the beauty of this life. For the moments when I can take a deep breath and feel content and blessed. Thank God for a sacrifice greater then I deserve. Praise his name for friendship that makes the every day more beautiful.~AS

Please pray for a quick recovery for Farah R.
Please pray for healing for Heather C.
Please pray for safe travels for the Oligers next week.
Please pray for our friends Nick and Zack who's employer was bought out and they are looking for new jobs. They both have families to support.
Please pray for my Madi and her friends that are all going back to school this next week. ~AS

Thank you for praying for Verla K this week.

Bitterness Day 4

Take Action


It is time to pursue and create a little peace. Some forms of bitterness may take more work then others. It is time to step out in faith and know that God wants you to be an example of his truth, he desire for you to live a life of blessing and peace.


One of my biggest frustrations as a Christian is that I have felt like in some situations I should just take other peoples cruelty and forgive them. I don't know if this expectation was simply in my head or set by example by those around me. It is a common misconception that turning the other cheek means you are giving people the right to abuse you. In truth, in the time of Jesus, turning the other cheek would mean putting yourself on an even field of respect with someone. Standing your ground. Confronting situations doesn't mean being weak or fighting fist to cuff. It is about drawing boundaries and counting yourself as worthy of respect.


Why the rambling about confrontation? One of the greatest foods for bitterness is anger, frustration and hate. When you don't know how to deal with these emotions the minute they arise, will you bury them? Do you pretend the hurt really isn't there?


Pursue peace.

~Anger/hurt? What do you do when a friend or loved one uses profanity at you? Calls you cruel names or insults your family? I know, these are the type of people in our lives that are just easier to walk away from. What would happen if you asked them to stop? It is time to draw one of those boundaries that are necessary for peace in life. You will find that when you raise your expectations of people they will usually rise to the occasion. If they don't it is time to lovingly let them know that you deserve to be treated better or you will have to restrict the time you spend with them.



~Dysfunctional family. I know many of us are poster children for dysfunction. This is a very personal area for me and bitterness. I have carried the hurt of my childhood around with me for a very long time. I have been attempting to make my own peace in this area of my life since I became a mother. Don't be discouraged, a lifetime of hurt takes a little longer to work through. Bitterness can be a very deep root and sometimes we have to starve it a little at a time. At some point you have to be the one to stop the cycles in your life. Stand up for yourself and say enough is enough.


Creating peace

~Envy. So now it is time to realize that when you look at other peoples lives and start to get a little jealous you are missing out on your own blessings. If you are envious of someone's marriage, it is time to find out what they are doing and you are not. This one is all about you. We always want to change our spouse, wonder why they don't do more in the marriage. If you are bummed about getting the short straw, that will effect your marriage. So, create the marriage you want. Yep, time to start putting in the effort. Regardless of what your spouse may be doing, people usually respond well when the environment around them is positive and peaceful.



~Coveting. I think this one doesn't get talked about nearly enough. It is hard to watch others get the things you want. It isn't fun to see the neighbors take amazing vacations every year, while you don't remember the last time you took a vacation day. The problem is, we forget to be good stewards of what we have been give. Create peace by finding contentment in what God has given you. Are you missing your own blessings while you feed the bitterness in your life?



Creating and Pursuing Peace in the Church

This is the responsibility of all of us that are a part of the Body of Christ. Bitterness runs deep in the modern Christian church. I wish I knew the exact steps to take to improve it all. I know in my heart that it is important as believers that we understand our role.


Take time to reflect on your role, are you carrying bitterness because of some hurt that has come from the church. This causes a block for people to know the grace of God. It is time to step up, confront your pain and start creating peace. If you are responsible for being consumed by ritual and causing bitterness in new believers, it is time for you to start pursuing peace. Don't forget we are all works in progress and even though you have been a believer for your entire life, some of us need your guidance and not the bitterness that comes from a lifetime of church politics.

If you are a new believer or not one yet and look around and wonder why, if we are saved by a loving merciful God, we all pretend to be perfect. Remember to put your trust in God and that all of us need him, that is why we are all in church. Hypocrisy will always be a part of the church because we set standards that we can't meet. We were created to need God, our imperfections remind us how important Christ's death really is. All of us should take a moment and realize we need to be pursuing peace in the church and not our pride.

The cure to bitterness is peace. It is time to stop pointing fingers at everyone else. Take as much responsibility as you can to say, I will deal with this today. I will not feed a root of bitterness in my life. It is time for action, time for confrontation, time for pursuing and time for creating.


Heavenly Father~ Your forgiveness, love, mercy and grace are so amazing. You pursue me and guide me. I need to do some weeding in my life Lord. I need you to be my strength when it is time to confront people. I need your power and comforting when I deal with the pain in my life. I need to see and be thankful for the blessings you have given me. Lord, give me the strength to stand up and make the first move in my relationships. Help me Lord to be a person that is creating peace in my marriage, my friendships and my church. Lord, help me to learn to forgive the wrongs that have been done against me. Reveal to me Lord the practical and active ways I can be a light for you. ~In your precious holy name...

Bitterness Day 3

What do we do when we have let our anger, jealousy, envy and hurt well up into bitterness? We renew our minds. It is time to change our focus. Acknowledge the things that cause bitterness in your life. Yep, all that unresolved anger from your childhood is causing you trouble and it is time to deal with it.


There really isn't a moment where bitterness comes from Spirit. But we know the Spirit that dwells in us rose our savior from death. I know it is powerful enough to help us heal from the hurt we have buried deep down inside of us.


Lets look at the Word:


James 3:13-18

Wisdom from Above
13Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
15This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
18And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.


When we have bitterness in our lives we are lying against the truth. As the scripture from Hebrews 12 says, It causes trouble and causes people to fall short of the glory of God. Both passages give us an answer though. It does mean doing a little something but I know we can do it.

"....make peace."

"pursue peace"

Bitterness will not go away because you hope, wish or pray it away. It requires a little action on your part. Yep, you have to deal with all those emotions, it is time to cut off the food supply to that terrible root. You have one of two choices here, you can pursue peace and be chasing after it. Or, you can make peace and create it. Let us grab hold of the power that dwells within us and become creators and pursuers of our own peace.


I pray that you have been spending a little time in reflexion over any bitterness that may dwell in your life. Tomorrow we will look at practical "how to" steps to create peace in our lives. God bless you all.

Please continue to pray for Verla K this week. Remember to email us your Praises, Prayer requests and testimonies.

Bitterness Day 2

Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;


Bitterness in the flesh.


A root of bitterness. I think this says a lot about how bitterness is not an immediate reaction to a situation or experience. But it grows and requires nourishment in order to bear it's fruit. That's right, it is something that is living and needs to be fed.

This list is by no means complete. Each one of us has things in our lives that we feed our bitterness with. Take a look today at yourself and your life, it is time to do a little weeding.


*Do you have someone close to you that uses unkind words and insults you? Do you keep all of the pain to yourself? Do you avoid putting up verbal boundaries in order to avoid confrontation? This is feeding bitterness

*Did you grow up in a family of dysfunction? Out of respect to your parents you haven't confronted the pain they may have caused? Do you find road blocks up at every turn because no one taught you differently? Do you get angry when you find yourself acting like one of your parents? This is feeding bitterness


*Do you have a good friend that has a wonderful marriage? Do you spend time with them and envy the love you see between them? Do you go home and wonder why your husband or wife doesn't act like that? Do they walk in the door and you wonder why you didn't marry "so and so"? This is feeding bitterness

*When you go to work, does everyone make more money then you do? Does the person that started working at the company 6 months after you do make more money? Does the receptionist have a better view? Why does the VP get a new car when you have to pay more for your medical insurance? This is feeding bitterness


*Let's give a little credit to the Jones'. Yep, do you get mad when you see their new car? the big screen? the new boat and rv? kids in the latest jeans and tennis shoes and don't forget the cell phones and laptops. What the heck, how do they have all of that, why don't I have all of that? This is feeding bitterness

*Church/Religion. It took me only a second to decide if I should add this. You see, our need to organize and have rules and have structure as a society has caused more bitterness in the church then anything else. We forget that the unhealthiest of us all need a place to work out there sins. Why can't church help me when I sin? Why do I feel judged when the clothes I can barely afford are never good enough? Why do I feel like I am always interrupting with my questions, am I suppose to already know all of this? Why do I feel like a blemish when I struggle with my addiction of smoking? I need someone to hold me accountable but I don't know that anyone else here has ever struggled with anything? I tried that church thing and it never changed me, I was never good enough for that place. Can you believe they asked for money again, I don't even agree with how they spend my money.? Anger, jealousy, hurt, envy, disappointment are all feeding bitterness


Tomorrow we will look at some healthy ways to deal with these situations and any others you may feel the need to share.

Heavenly Father, I am in need of some personal reflection today, Lord. I know that I have a root of bitterness in me. Reveal to me today Lord the ways in which I continue to feed the weed that grows in the ground I pray is kept fertile for only more of you Lord. Lord show me today situations in which I need to acknowledge I don't deal with my emotions, show me how I bury things down deep to only strengthen my bitterness. In your name...



Please continue to pray for Verla K this week.

Bitterness Day 1

Please pray for Verla K this week.

Just a quick reminder: Friday is now being dedicated to Praise, Prayer and Testimonies. If you want to share please email us at womenofworship1@gmail.com . We are looking for personal testimonies relating to the weeks topic. If you have ever dealt with bitterness in your life, please email us, your testimony could change someones life.

Bitterness

I thought after last weeks devotional on Anger we should talk about what happens when you don't deal with being angry. Sometimes as Christians we are taught that it isn't okay to be mad or frustrated or jealous or discontent or angry. Instead of confronting these emotions in healthy, loving ways when they arrive, we just bury them. Pretend they really aren't there, avoiding all healthy forms of confrontation. The problem, they don't go anywhere, but they stew and build up in us and turn a relatively happy person into someone who is bitter.

Bitter (from dictionary.com)—Synonyms 1. acrid, biting, distasteful. 3. distressing, poignant, painful. 4. biting, nipping. 5. fierce, cruel, ruthless, relentless. 7. acrimonious, caustic, sardonic, scornful.

Hebrews 12:14-15
14Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.
15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;

Heavenly Father, I feel truly unworthy of your blessings today Lord. I look around and you have given me so much, far more then I ever deserve. The beauty of creation surrounds my senses today and I praise your name, that all that know me and my family may know a glimpse of your power and glory. Lord, use me this week as a vessel to teach your word. Show me the ways to love my friends in word by pulling the veil on bitterness to show how it steals our blessings from you. Be with this group this week, in all the steps they take walk beside those that need a friend, carry those that need healing and comfort, guide those that don't know which way to go. In your precious holy name....