Deb Hucke

Deb Hucke

CHECK IN: Week Five (23,24,25,26,27,28)

Prayer· Prayer Challenge

Check In Week Five.jpg

Who is still with us?  How has the Lord met you this past week? Any fresh insights or perhaps dusted off old truths? I love that about scripture.  You read a passage in January and give it a token head nod.  You read it again in April and it leaps off the page and speaks into your life.  What’s the difference? You are!  That is why we can conclude that the Bible is the Living word of God.

As for me, I am staying the course, but if I’m honest, my circle seems un-impacted.  But amazingly and thankfully my disappointment is in check which I can only attribute to the Holy Spirit.  I invited Ian to come home for Easter and he has zero interest. Not even if I bribe him with laundry service or free food.  Ian is distancing himself from God even more than he is distancing himself from us. Still, I am trusting God who loves Ian more than I do.

I continue to have sporadic fits with the technology.  If you missed any this past week, they follow.

Stay the Course!  Debbie Hucke

DAY 23,

1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (NIV)
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Today is April 1. But this passage is no April fools joke. LOVE is powerful! I think, we underestimate love’s power. This passage was read at my wedding, 24+ years ago. I am sure it is familiar to all of you.
Some of you have shared with me that your circle is a person, or a relationship with that person. Give this exercise a try.
In verses 4-7 replace your name with the first word in each phrase. Debbie is patient. Debbie is kind. Debbie does not envy. Debbie does not boast. Debbie is not proud. Debbie does not dishonor others, Debbie is not self-seeking, Debbie is not easily angered, Debbie keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Debbie does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 Debbie always protects, Debbie always trusts, Debbie always hopes, Debbie always perseveres.
Yikes!
As you follow my lead using your name, perhaps the phrases sound as bitter to you as they did to me. Every single solitary relationship can benefit from an infusion of 1st Corinthians love. I’m hopeful that the Lord can use this exercise to shed some light into your circle.
For further study, read these articles….Really and The Golden Phone Cord

DAY 24,

Isaiah 41:10
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
I can attest to the fact that there are many times when God has given me more than I can handle. Can you relate? At those times it is easy to lose sight of a good God and His perfect plans.
In today’s scripture Isaiah does more than suggest, he commands … Do not fear, Do not be dismayed.
Are you kidding? How in the heck can God expect so much from me?!
And yet,the Lord never makes a promise He cannot keep. And Isaiah 41:10 is dense with promise.
As you think about your circle, pray the promises of Isaiah 41:10 back to the Lord. When you lead with your head and the truth it knows, that influences your very volatile heart.
Loving Father, I praise you for your faithfulness in spite of my fickleness. I confess that there are many times when I’m full of fear and not faith. Thank You for Your promise to be with me, to strengthen me, to help me, to uphold me with your Your righteous right hand, Please help me to choose faith over fear. Help me tor know you are my God. AMEN.

DAY 25,

Deuteronomy 31:6-8
7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.
8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
If I had to choose ONE scripture that provided the most reassurance during our horrendous year after Ian’s car accident, this one would top the list.
For starters it is important to appreciate the context of this passage. I love that time and time again we see that God chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Take Moses. Moses didn’t start out as a mighty man of faith. When God first called him to deliver the children of Israel, Moses whined about his own inadequacy and begged the Lord to send someone else (Exodus 4:13)
In today’s passage, Moses knew exactly how Joshua felt. At 120 years old, close to death, Moses knew what was needed. He knew to exhort Joshua to be strong and courageous as he was about to finish the trip and lead the Israelites across the Jordan. From Joshua’s perspective, even though he was a strong military leader, he probably lacked confidence with his ability to take over for Moses. But undoubtedly, Moses had earned credibility. He was someone worth following, someone to listen to. Moses had endured forty years of first hand experience of the Lord going before him, witnessing His faithfulness.
What models these men are for us.
Following God and the plans He has for you, will require strength and courage. It will require facing uncertainty, stepping into uncharted territory, doing things that seem way out of your comfort zone, being courageous when courage seems ludicrous. Sometimes it even means stepping into things, confident in his leading, but unsure of how it will actually work. It means taking God ordained risks that appear crazy.
Here’s the thing… confidence for God-given challenges never comes from within ourselves. But when we trust the Lord and rely on His Word instead of our feelings, He’ll give us the ability and courage that we need to accomplish His will. Only as we endure one faith-stretching challenge after another and experience God’s faithfulness will we learn to trust Him instead of ourselves.
As you think about your circle, heed these words from Moses and believe them to be true. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
For further understanding of this scripture, read these articles. More Mary Less Martha and Let’s Play in the Mud

DAY 26,

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
There are some scriptures that are just so familiar that we gloss right over them and miss their rich meaning and blessing. For me Proverbs 3:5,6 falls into that category. As you prayer this promise back to the Lord consider the conditions needed to receive His promise. The conditions are our responsibility.
IF I trust in the Lord with ALL of my heart and IF I don’t rely on my own understanding and IF I submit to Him in ALL my ways…THEN He will make my paths straight.
Father God, Again I praise you for your promise. But I confess… THIS. IS. HARD. I’m not confident I’m able to keep my end of the bargain. My trust is weak. My own understanding is the loudest voice I hear. And submitting to You can seem down right foreign. Come Holy Spirit. Thank you for not leaving me on my own. Help me Lord. I want to trust You with all my heart. I want to NOT lean on my own understanding. I want to always submit to You. And most of all, I want your promise to be true in my life. I want You to make my paths straight. Thank you for stamping this truth on my heart. Amen.
For an example of claiming this truth read my article Let’s Play in the Mud.

DAY 27,

Isaiah 55:8,9 (NIV)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.“

As some of you know, I am a recovering control freak. I’m willing to bet you are too. Even low key, chill, go with the flow people want a little influence. To some degree we all want what we want when we want it.

Consider this… In the beginning, God gifted us with the ability to make choices. We first read about this in Genesis, in the garden. It’s called Free-Will. But in that same garden we inherited an innate desire for control from a different source, Adam and Eve. It’s called Sin.

For me, and I bet for you too, my strong desire to understand and control my circumstances becomes most evident when I am overwhelmed with life. I plead, God where are you? Why is this happening? How can I get out of this mess? And God’s response… silence.

I wonder if maybe I am asking the wrong questions. Of course I only know to judge the situation from my human perspective. And that is just the point. It’s not my job to figure out the why and the how and the when of what God is up to. My job is to trust my wise, loving, all powerful, all knowing, ever present, faithful heavenly Father.

Here’s the thing… when you’re upside down with excruciating circumstances you don’t have the energy to both trust God and figure out God. It won’t work! Thankfully, it can’t work. If God were small enough to figure Him out, He wouldn’t be big enough to handle your challenges. If you could figure out God, you wouldn’t need God.

In the end, as Isaiah points out in Chapter 55:8,9, we must respect the fact that God is God and we are not. Only then will we experience REAL freedom. Only then can we rest knowing WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL. He is. Thank God for that!

Dear Father, I praise you for your sovereignty. I sometimes think if I just understood your ways, then, it would be easy to trust you. Thank you for your patience with my foolish thinking. Thank you for loving me too much to allow me to mess up your perfect plan. Please help me to rest in your sovereign arms. I love you. I trust you. Amen

#GodsGotThis

Debbie Hucke

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Related posts:

  1. CHECK IN: Week Three (11,12,13,14,15,16)
  2. CHECK IN: Week Four (17,18,19,20,21,22)
  3. FINAL CHECK IN (29,30,31,32,33,34)

Comments

  1. The verses from Corinthians on love touched me and reminded me I needed to be more patient within my circle. Then Tuesday’s blessing was a reminder do not fear for I am with you. Tuesday afternoon we received scary Medical results. I know and believe these devotions were sent by God especially for me this week. I will not fear, I will trust. Somehow with this change of circumstances this week, it seems easier to be patient, but that is probably temporary as it always has been. Patience has never been my strong suit. I know God is trying to teach me something and I trust him completely. I will not fear for he is with me. Thank you Lord Jesus for giving me the gift of faith as a young person. Now keep me stronger than ever in my faith walk. I trust you, I need you, I love you.

    Reply

    • Amen Terri! Todays sermon was all about how our faith can change. It can get weaker or stronger. What makes the difference… obedience to act on what we believe and trust God is who He says he is over and over and over again. In other words… practice it. You’re on the right track! Sorry about your news, but He will walk you through it! It’s a promise you can stand on!

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  2. I am staying the course, Debbie. Don’t feel like the Lone Ranger. Nothing seems to be changing in my circle either! However, I am trusting that God is working even though I can’t see it. He is who I am hanging on to! Love you and appreciate your daily scriptures and thought.

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  3. Debbie, while you may believe your circle may be focused on Ian, recognize that your circle is much larger as you impact each of us in profound ways each and every day! Without you as a facilitator for shining a light on God’s love, many of us would not be experiencing what we are experiencing. And for that, thank you! End of last week was really tough with me needing to hold firm on boundaries with my son. The consequences for both of us is tough as he has been blessed with my stubbornness!! With all of that said, the scriptures this week and my prayer has been centered on feeling God’s love and confidence that God has a plan and it isn’t my plan. Friends ask, aren’t you scared about what might happen and my response is of course, but I have to trust that this is part of God’s plan and that I will learn during this time of trials as much as my son. I’ve given my son to God and at this point, I am trying to be a facilitator, mentor and loving mom. I hold on to Isaiah 41:10 and remind myself everyday that God is with me and will strengthen me as he takes care of my family in HIS way and not my own!

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  4. This was a rough week, and the prayers with your commentary helped through exhaustion and stress, I dealt with the family pet having a very noisy, worse at night, health crisis. I had to prepare my children for a grim possibility. Praying was a comfort and a reminder. The dog will be fine after a dramatic diet change…

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  5. Still here and feel connected more than ever, it’s as if this week’s scriptures have come full circle and binded (not a word, but using it) it all together. Some of my circle no answer, but some yes! i.e. was chuckling in kitchen replacing my name as first word in Day 23, how humbling it was! My husband says what’s so funny? Ohhh, just my scripture today. He asked me to read it to him, was a good sharing time…… Day 25-reminded me of song I love, Give me Faith like Daniel in the lion’s den, Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness, Give me heart like David which will be my defense, to face my giants with confidence! I’ve seen this faith, strength and confidence through my friends this past week after their surgery and healing and in turn others are seeing it through them. Amazing Grace….. Day 28-this trickling and habitual scripture has made me be a constant in him. More of a connected branch. I find myself daily doing for him, talking to him, even singing during the day. If you remain in me…..Key words! LOL, I think I got “I want some of that!” Stay tuned for next week, could be a whole diff ballgame!

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  6. I’m still with you, every day. Each mornng I write out in my little (exactly 40 page – how did THAT happen?) journal the scripture. I find that the simple act of writing it down deepens the meaning for me as it requires time and quiet consideration of each word- especially 1 Corinthians 13: 4-13! Afterwards I try to relate it to my circle – which frankly doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. But.
    I know He knows. And His will will be done. And I trust him. And I love Him. And I know so deeply in my heart how much He loves me.
    Thank you Deb for doing this for us.

    Reply

    • Thanks for your report! He does know. He does love you deeply. Amen! I also like your process. I’m horrible at directions. When I drive a route (instead of as a passenger) I’m much more inclined to know the way the next time. I think you re-writing the scripture has tremendous benefit! Way to go.

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  7. Hi Debbie,
    I’m still here trying to keep focused on my circle which has turned into a spiral with many things springing every-which-way this week. You and God provided the exact scripture needed to forward to my son in Japan, just after his email to me about an overwhelming problem he was facing at work that day. God took care of it! and we know He will continue to handle those things we turn over to Him. Even though we have been “springing” through exciting plans for celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, and the sudden death of a good friend, and preparations for our granddaughter to come and live with us, this Prayer Challenge has been such a blessing to keep me on track, daily, with His Word to help me BE Still.

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  8. Sovereign and mud, yep – two words I can relate to. Debbie, thank you for sharing and for your honesty. My circle hasn’t changed but I find my outlook is bolstered. Walking on the mud, slipping and sliding, I am reminded where my foundation is. How fantastic that the Lord is sovereign and not trapped in the mucky mud of unknown in life. Your words are so on target, your willingness to share them is truly providential.

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    • I love that spin… He is sovereign over the mud, walks us through the mud and will use the mud for amazing purposes. Thanks for your kind words.

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  9. Not only am I still with you, Debbie, I eagerly look forward to each morning. My circle is expanding; it originally focused on a discussion I needed to have with someone, After much concentrated prayer and a golden opportunity, I had the discussion and am happy so share that it went very well, beyond all my expectations. God is good and His Word doesn’t come back empty.

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    • What a fantastic report. So pleased you’ve had to expand your circle. Thanks for checking in! Amen to His word not coming back void.

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  10. Still here as well, Debbie. Loving the progression in the Scriptures. Like some others following along, nothing in my circle is visibly changing, but my heart is changing as God’s love and care for us come through so clearly throughout all these verses.

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  11. A quick note to let you know I am STILL with you and enjoy reading each entry. I am a couple days behind on the blogs. I think this is a great Lenten devotional and I am benefiting from and appreciate your efforts. Your brutal honesty is so relate-able and I cherish you emails. Thank you for sharing and bless you in your journey, too!

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  12. I wish there was like and love emojis on here! I read all the comments and love them and relate to so many situations. Thank you Debbie and everyone! (hugs)

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  13. So far, so good. I’m here with you each morning and so thankful I can see God moving in my prayer circle! Thank you for leading us in this challenge Debbie, I really appreciate it.

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    • Wooohooo. God moving in your circle …awesome! You’re very welcome. I have been blessed in the process.

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  14. Oh…what an incredible journey for both of us…ALL of us. The good, the bad, the ugly, but the beautiful! Still here…all in different places, but united in an amazingly Powerful Holy Spirit! Blows me away. The scripture, the timing are always spot on to what we need for the day and both challenges us and blesses us beyond words. God is moving in incredible ways in our lives. Through our distancing children, transforming ones, confused, and steadfast ones. They are all over the board with the changes that are taking place…but Nathan and I will continue to be there for them when they need us day or night. God is moving in Nathan and my life. WOW. Going to finish strong and want to continue this daily. Can’t tell you how much of an influence it has had on our lives. Thank you Deb. Know that you in our prayers and have blessed us all.

    Reply

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