God's Word Archives - Seeking God with Jaime Wiebel

Mirror Mirror on the Wall and SAF Linkup

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:43:13 +0000

Mirror Mirror On the Wall…

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, tell me something truly amazing about myself.

When looking in the mirrors at the fun house we are often amazed by the distorted views of those mirrors. Maybe we like that they make us taller, thinner, or shape us in all the right places. Have you ever stood in front of one of those mirrors and said, “I need one of these at home!”

As my daughter and I were cleaning up in the kitchen, she looked into the stainless steel pot and said, “Mommy, why does my head look weird in metal?”

Just as in the funhouse mirror or the mirror mirror in the fairy tales, we want the reflection we see to be the best representation of ourselves. We want it to look like who we believe we are. We certainly don’t want it to look “weird”. I don’t want it to point out my flaws or my facial blemishes. I certainly don’t want it to reflect me in all the wrong places.

As we read scripture, we often have one major grief with it, it points out our most major flaw, that we are sinners.

Not a True Reflection

Instead of holding the Bible up to a funhouse mirror, as believers, we may do several things. We may read only the parts that make us feel good or the parts that help us reflect us getting our “Best Christian” Award. We may take God’s attributes that we like and that are flattering to cover our sins, like love, grace, and mercy and capitalize on them.

Just so we don’t get a true reflection of what the Bible says, we may even go to the extent of never reading its contents. We may only rely on someone else to give us it’s translations. We may have to dust it off every time we need to carry it somewhere.

Why go to all these extents to not see who we truly are?

My husband is great at pointing out my flaws on my best days. “You are being too critical.” “Honey, don’t you think, you are being negative.” “You need to show more kindness.” “That wasn’t very loving.”

Sometimes it makes me madder than a wet hornet to hear these things. Not because he is trying to hurt me but because they are true. (Don’t tell him I said that ) I don’t always want to know that I am being ugly, but to be honest, I need it.

My goal isn't to just become good or better at things. My goal in life is to become godly and strive toward holiness. To do that requires me to lay down my sinful ways and become more like Jesus.
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Sharper than a Double-Edged Sword

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

The Bible is capable of showing me more than what my husband and family can see. The Bible is able to penetrate deep into my heart. It will get down to my innermost being and divide what is holding me together, my joints and marrow and my spirit and soul. God’s Word will slice a dividing line right in the middle of them.

The Bible is able to cut to the matter of my sin faster and sharper than anyone because God knows the attitudes of my heart that no one can see. The things I hold deep inside of me are not off limits to God. (Hebrews 4:13)
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The Bible is able to divide my soul and my spirit. Meaning it can divide my personality, my human tendencies from the part that wants to do what is right. Paul says in Romans.

For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. Romans 7:20 (BSB)

We want to do good but we are often torn and continue on doing what is evil. Our flesh is waging war against us soul.

The Bible is able to divide my soul and spirit. Down to the deepest parts of my heart and mind, the Bible is able to get in their and work.

Why?

Because it is alive and active. It is capable of giving me the help and restoration that I need to become more like Christ.

Don’t Forget What You Look Like

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:22-24 (BSB)

How often do we hear or read God’s Word and walk away and walk right back into our sinful ways? James is such an encouragement to the Christian walk but he is honest, something we don’t often like to hear.

We know what is right when we have read God’s Word. We have sought it out for guidance and then we walk away. As we go back to our daily lives, we soon forget. We forget it’s value, purpose, and it’s assurances. We quickly forget the blessings and the promises that God lays out right before our eyes.

We become the man who walks away from the mirror and forgets what he truly looks like. Then we forget who and whose we truly are.

Instead of going back to it and seeing the reflection of ourselves and God’s living words, we stumble through life with no solid grounding. A forgotten reflection of our true selves becomes a hurdle to cross.

Our only Hope

God’s Word not only teaches us who we truly are but offers us the only hope and the only way to truly fix it.

As we continue in this Christmas season, may we not become numb to the reality that our busyness is only Satan's attempt to draw us away from spending time in the Word. Leaping us off the pages of truth and life into the world of…
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Christ came to be a God who dwelt among His people. He left all His glory and the side of His Father to come to Earth in the lowliest place. Born among the animals and lying in their feeding place, He came with a rescue mission.

This season is the celebration of that newborn King. It is truly about Him walking among us and showing us the hope and truth that until that point in history could only be read about.

The greatest hope of all was born on that first Christmas. Just as he came before, He will return again. Our longing for all to be right and our longing to look in the mirror and see our best selves will be a faded memory. Because one day we will not only see ourselves as Christ sees us but we will see Him for who He truly is.

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

He Will Return

One day Christ will return. In that moment, we will have to have made the decision about what we believe. The Bible is clear that every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:10)

So while we celebrate this joyous occasion please don’t miss the opportunity to get to know Christ more. Open your Bible where you will see the closest reflection of who He is.

Need a good place to start reading your Bible or pick it back up? Matthew and Luke – Two of the four gospels give an account of Jesus’ birth.

**Starting Next Week, I am doing a series called Walking Among Us – Christ’s Journey on the Road. I hope you will join us on this journey as we look into Christ’s life, His interactions with the people around Him, and how that affects us today.

Also, next week I will run my blog party for 2 weeks because of Christmas Week. Please stop by so you can link up your new posts.**

Linkup with Sitting Among Friends Blog Party

Blog Parties are such a great place to meet people and build connections around the web. This is one reason, I love this party.

I would love to sit down face-to-face with you but since we can’t do that I love to meet you here. I love to hear your stories and see your work.

This is a Christian based website and so is the material that I promote here. Please remember that when linking up. I do reserve the right to remove posts.

*Please take the time to visit other blogs and comment and share*

Tag Me with Twitter Shares and I will RT them.

I will be featuring a friend during the week on my FB page!

Join us at our Sitting Among Friends Pinterest Board by following my profile and then requesting an invite.

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No More Sleepless Nights and Sitting Among Friends #78

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 06:33:00 +0000

As summer approaches and the days are getting longer, I struggle to get to sleep early, how about you? Some of those nights can also be peppered with sleeplessness.

For different reasons, sleeplessness may occur. Reasons such as stresses of a job, raising a family and not having ends meet. Maybe you play those problems over like a broken record in your head at night.

Let’s sleep to a different tune!

My toughest nights have always been calmed by the meditation of scripture. Whatever your reasons for having those sleepless nights, I hope you are encouraged by these verses.

You are known

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. Nahum 1:7 (ESV)

Personally, I always feel comfort in knowing that God knows me. He knows the things I am facing. He knows my troubles and the things that make me worry.

If you want a great project and you like to journal in your Bible or in a notebook. Go through the Bible and circle or underline these two words – He knows!

God knows your name and the number of hairs on your head. You can find comfort and assurance in the fact, that He knows the things that trouble you. You can take refuge in Him because He is GOOD!

Think About These

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Sleepless nights seem to be accompanied by negative thoughts. Life’s troubles or stresses seem to double in the night. We’re tired and weak and not able to think clearly and rationally.

My personal belief is when we are tired and weak in the night the devil is willing to attack us because we are vulnerable. As believers, when we are tired, we become ineffective. Ineffective believers can’t do their work for the Lord.

What can we do to combat those sleepless nights and negative thoughts? We are told in Philippians to fix our thoughts or meditate on these things. Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

God will give you the truth. If you are having trouble getting sleep. Ask God to implant your tired mind with His truth.

God is Faithful

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. 1 Corinthians 1:9 (BSB)

Finally, friends, one of the truths that we can meditate on is God’s faithfulness.

As we read through both the Old and New Testament, we can see the same theme. God is faithful.

He is faithful to His children through the generations. When we read stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Peter, and Paul. We see God always being there for them. He has been faithful for thousands of generations.

When they don’t know the next steps in their lives or how they will make it through the new season. They always attest to Him being their refuge in their times of trial and trouble.

Next time before you decide to lay your head down for a sleepless restless night, meditate on these three verses.

Personal Reflections:

What are some things that keep you up at night?

Do you believe God knows about your troubles?

Are you willing to let Him handle them?

What is another verse that you could play over in your mind instead of the negative noise that may already be playing there?

Join us in the comments below to continue the conversation!

I am glad you are here. I would love for you to join us at Seeking God Daily. Because a couple friends and I are passionate about sharing God’s Word we have joined forces to bring together a Facebook Group called Seeking God Daily.

Seeking God Daily is a group that offers hope, encouragement, and support in learning God’s Word and applying the truths to our walk with Christ.

We want to encourage one another through authentic, honest and respectful conversation as we earnestly seek Him daily.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

This week and next you will get to meet the ladies behind this new adventure. You can join this group by clicking HERE ! While you are there feel free to invite some friends along for the journey. We would love to have them!

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WOW! Thank you all for coming and for the 66 Amazing posts from last week. This party has been wonderful thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read posts. Thank you!

You all are amazing writers who share Family and Faith, DIY’s, Recipes, Photos, Giveaways, Homeschooling and more. Many of you have amazing journeys of faith and I praise the Lord we are able to connect here!

There are easy share buttons to your left or at the bottom of each post (mobile) and after you link-up. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! From all of us at #SittingAmongFriends

*** Joining Us Here? You are welcome to join me on Pinterest and Pin to Our Sitting Among Friends Blog Party Board where I will be happy to re-pin posts to my other boards. ***

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Walking with Christ & Sitting Among Friends Blog Party #39

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 05:02:00 +0000

When I started Sitting Among Friends, I had this idea of friends sitting together and talking about Jesus (one of my favorite things to do).

We would learn from each other and encourage and strengthen one another to walk closer with Him. These last two weeks have been a great opportunity for friends to gather and do just that. Last week, we took Time for Loving Our Lord with a great group of women, you won’t want to miss reading their ideas!

One thing I hope you take away from this is our time with God can look very different, the key factor is showing up and laying our hearts at His feet.

This week, I have more amazing Bible reading and study tips from these lovely ladies. I am sure you will love reading them as much as I did.

Let me know in the comments if there are any study tips that you may be incorporating or ones you already do that we may not have mentioned.

If you missed tips and encouragement from my friends last week you can read it here. E Enjoy!

Lori Schumaker at Searching for Moments

My time in God’s Word is what keeps me afloat. When that time suffers, I begin to sink. I’ve needed to be creative at times because the seasons of life change and as we transition into new ones, old habits no longer worked. Although I do love to have a few minutes of prayer or time reading the Bible when I first wake up, it is a difficult feat for me because I am not a morning person. At all! I think it’s so important to keep God’s Word woven into the fabric of our days. Not as an isolated event, but as something we get bits and pieces of all day long. Whether it’s worship music in my ear buds, a Biblically based podcast in my car, or curled up in my comfy chair with Bible in hand, His truth and hope hold my thoughts captive.

Sue Donaldson from Welcome Heart

Most mornings, with coffee, I begin with Boa’s Face To Face – scripture written in the first person – and journal/pray through the scriptures listed by the day. They cover 3 months so I begin all over again every 3 months. Always fresh. I highlight things to blog or write about later and categorize by topics – H for hospitality, C for Creator God – or whatever God is laying on my heart.

It’s a beautimous habit, oil for my spirit, water for my heart, instruction for my mind, a conviction for my waywardness, and connection for my relationship with God who made us for that very thing.

It’s usually around 7 am in my green quiet time chair in the front room.

Get a retreat in a basket ready so you can pick up your quiet time supplies and move on a dime when your room doesn’t work any particular day: include what you need: Kleenex, pen, paper, journal, Bibles, devo books, notecards, and a list pad for your to do list – our to do’s interrupt us – so write it down, and leave it for later.

Without it, I don’t have much to give anyone else. Ministry is spillage. That means I need to fill up on a regular basis.

I rarely use a radio in the car because when I’m alone I use it for communing with God about my day. Of course, it’s hard for those for little kids – it’s even harder to get up earlier than little people. So give yourself a pass, but when alone, go to God first, even for 5 minutes.

Michelle Morin from Living Our Days

Wow, I’m so happy to weigh in on this topic because my quiet time with God and the truth He brings to my heart through His Word are the only reason why I would ever consider blogging or teaching, because my own wisdom is pretty thin under the best of circumstances, so here are my thoughts, and I hope they are helpful.

My time in the Word has changed over the years in respond to changes in my family. Before children, I kept my Bible, notebook, and any reference materials in a lovely basket — with a shawl and all my special pens, so it was a cozy thing that I loved. This worked very well until my first child became mobile.

During the toddler years, I found that I could keep an eye on all four boys if I stationed myself at the dining room table where I could see and hear all. Although I missed the quiet intimacy of early mornings, I felt (and still feel) that my mornings need to be kept free for interacting with my husband before he leaves for work. What I have received from that “sacrifice” has been the gift of modeling for my children the truth that time in the Word is a regular part of my day.

Homeschooling four boys, I learned to keep a bag packed with everything I needed to read, study, and review Scripture memory, so the mini-van became my “Tabernacle” — it moved, right? I can meet with the Lord as I wait for a piano lesson or sit in the Middle School parking lot during a rehearsal.

Planning for flexibility has made all the difference for me and has made it possible for God’s Truth to be both center and circumference for me.

Jill Holler from Changed By His Grace

I spend time in the word whenever it is the quietest in my house. I find that if I try to read the Bible while my kids are up and about, I just get frustrated because of interruptions and in turn get upset with them. I try to get up early while all are sleeping or wait until they are in bed. Sometimes I will let them watch a show so I can retreat to my bedroom to read.

I absolutely love spending time in the word because I feel so alive; I feel like it is what I was meant to do. The more time I spend with Him, the more I long for it. It truly is the joy of my life.

I usually study the Bible in my bedroom, probably because it is my own quiet place of solitude. I’ve become used to it, and now it is just my favorite place. Just heading there to do my devotions is uplifting to me.

My time with God is absolutely essential. It renews my mind each day so that I can live the way he wants me to live. It gives me purpose and sets my mind toward heavenly things instead of earthly ones. It is so easy to get caught up in worldly values, and God’s word shows me that only He matters. Studying His word also gives me a peace that the world can’t give; it relieves my anxieties because I remember I can trust in Him. Sitting in His presence is the greatest blessing to me.

A tip for quiet time: Sometimes I’m not sure exactly where to start reading in my Bible, so in those cases, I normally turn to the Psalms. Every time I read in that book, I am amazed by who God is, and most often I can relate to the struggles that the author is having. I love the pure honesty of the Psalms. I see the greatness of God and how we are free to bring all of our thoughts to him, no matter what they are.

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While you’re here, sit down with some of my friends.

WOW! I know Summer is busy so I thank you all for coming here and for the 85 Amazing posts. This party has been wonderful and it is thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read and SHARE! Thank you!

You all are amazing writers who share DIY’s, Recipes, Photos, Giveaways, Homeschool and Family and Faith. Many of you have amazing journeys of faith and I praise the Lord we are able to connect here!

There are easy share buttons to your left or at the bottom of each post (mobile) and after you link-up. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks! From all of us at #SittingAmongFriends

*** I am no longer pinning to Pinterest, but you are welcome to join me on Pinterest and Pin to Our Sitting Among Friends Blog Party Board where I will be happy to re-pin posts to my other boards. ***

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Do You Want Knowledge or Truth & Sitting Among Friends Blog Party #27

Jaime Wiebel — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:31:00 +0000

Have you ever heard anyone sing this tune? Of course, I believe in God. No, I don’t read the Bible, it is too complicated, I can’t understand it for myself, and I can’t remember what I have read.

If you have ever said this, there is good news. The good news is, in Christ, you have been given a teacher to teach you.

Coming from a teaching background, I have a tendency for seeking knowledge. In fact, sometimes I wish I could just have my head jammed full of information because I love to learn.

For me personally, there have been times in my walk with Christ when I believed the only way I could be closer to God was to know more about God and understand the Bible. I have also fallen into the trap of believing the only way to understanding was for someone to explain it to me.

I knew the stories. I had heard them a thousand times. As I have grown in Christ, I have realized the importance of being taught straight from His Word.

Growing up, somewhere along the way, I missed the importance of picking up the Bible as part of my daily life. I missed the essential part of walking with Christ was walking through His Word and forming a bond and need for Him.

1 John 2:27 says: But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true–it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. (NLT)

We can quickly get on a journey to know so much about Christ that we miss key elements. Knowing about Christ is not the same as knowing Him. Believing there is a God is not the same as believing and putting our trust and faith in God. Being taught about God is not the same as learning from God.

1 John can give us a confidence in studying God’s Word like never before.

If we want to know what God’s Word says, we have to take the first step in seeking His truth. We have to open the Word that HE has given us. The Holy Spirit will guide us to understand it’s truth. When the time comes for us to recall the truths, the Holy Spirit will put it to our minds.

The Holy Spirit was given as an advocate for us. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come as His representative and teach us all things and remind us of the things He taught us (John 14:26).

Notice 1 John also says the Holy Spirit teaches us everything we need to know and what He teaches is true. We can read all kinds of amazing books that teach about Christ, I know, I have.

One thing we have to be careful of is knowing whether it is truth or one person’s interpretation. We have to be able to discern the truth. We can only do that if we know the truth and we can only know the truth when we go to the source of truth- God’s Word.

There is a lot of information coming at us from all directions, let’s be honest, it is not all truth and some very far from it. In fact, reading this article you can only discern the truth of it by seeking God’s Word. Looking up the verses that I have given and have God teach you for yourself what He wants you to draw from His Word.

What we believe as Christians always has to come down to clinging to the truth of God’s Word. We don’t have to walk around in the dark being led by the knowledge someone else has gained. We only need the Holy Spirit to guide us in our teaching.

Three things to help you begin.

1. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and seek the truth that is laid out before you. Holy Spirit, Teach Us, Remind Us!

2. Open God’s Word and let the Power of the Holy Spirit fill you. May My Cup Run Over!

3. Enjoy the journey! Seek to Know the Truth!

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

While you’re here, sit down with some of my friends.

WOW! Last week had 102 Amazing posts. This party has been wonderful and it is thanks to you, friends, who link-up with us and those who stop by and read! Thank you!

Please remember to visit other friends when you are posting.
They are amazing writers with so many great stories to share with you. Just click on a link below and you will go directly to their site where you can get to know them more.

Please, link-up (up to 3) of your family-friendly inspiring stories, recipes, DIY, homeschool, giveaways, or share your life’s greatest passions.

Friends are here to encourage and challenge us in our walk of life, so enjoy!

Thank you for posting and linking up. I try to read and comment on as many of these wonderful posts as I can and as time allows. I just want to say you are all doing wonderful work and praise the Lord that I have had the opportunity to come across the path of so many of you.

This party has been fantastic and it is thanks to all of you who stop by and Share this party with your friends. Together, we can make this our great place. There are easy share buttons to your left or at the bottom of each post (mobile) and after you link-up. Tweets with #SittingAmongFriends will be re-tweeted!

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