Exodus 33:11

Exodus 33:11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.

Faithful Friend, I'm astonished that You have chosen to speak friend to friend with a rebel like me. You're prominent, perfect, and pure. I'm insignificant, imperfect and impure. My life is in shambles! Of all the beautiful and gifted people in the world who seem to have so much to offer, You've chosen to chat with me. I have no beauty, no gift, and no clout. While some people wouldn't be caught dead associating with me, You, Most High King, are delighted to call me "friend".  How can this be? It is a mystery I will never understand. My heart dances within to hear You calling and inviting me to hang out with You - the Immortal, Invincible, Incorruptible King. It's not the rich and famous You desire to be with, but lowly people with humble hearts. Thank You for stooping down to speak to me face to face when I come to You with an open heart, mind and Bible. I yearn to hear Your Voice. O how I desire to know You deeply, personally, and intimately. Keep the fire burning in my heart and consume me with passion. I never want to break away from this sweet fellowship we enjoy. I'm tickled that You'd speak to me friend to friend! Hallelujah! Amen.

Friendship with God is attainable. Moses was far from prominent, perfect and pure. He wasn't great or glamorous either. In fact, after committing murder he was wandering in the wilderness when God chose to befriend him. No matter who you are, what you've done, or where you've been the Immortal, Invincible, Incorruptible King is calling you into uninterrupted intimacy with Him. Respond to Him with an open heart, mind and Bible, and He will speak to you face to face as a man speaks to a friend.

Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

O Great God, You are the most famous artist of all time. I could search the whole wide world and find no one as creative or talented as You. Unscrupulous con artists continually corrupt Your creation. The world presses people into cookie cutter patterns that perform for power, possessions and pleasure. It uses symbols of status to stamp us with success. When we conform to their hard pressed image we become heartless, mindless and lifeless like plastic toys and trinkets. You however, have a unique technique for sculpting original works of art that are eternally beautiful, valuable and useful. All we have to do is stay soft and pliable in Your meticulous hands every day. Throughout the lifelong process, our eyes will turn toward You, our Designer, when we open our Bibles. Meditating on Your sacred Scriptures will form our true character. They'll expose the rough spots of rebellion that need to be scraped away. They'll correct our cracks, flaws, and blemishes. They'll squeeze us and change us into Your perfect plan. Through the heat of life we'll come out of the fiery furnace glazed with Your glory. With Your Holy Word permanently etched on my heart, my mind will be altered to live Your way. Please don't let con artists squeeze me into the rigid mold of the world. I want to remain soft and pliable in Your skillful hand where I can be shaped into a pleasantly perfect pot to pour out Your extraordinary love. Please dear Lord, transform my mind today, making me an eternally valuable vessel for the praise of Your most creative name. Amen.

What pattern of the world is pressing you today? What will you do differently to prevent con artists from corrupting you?

Psalm 27:4-5

Psalm 27:4-5 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

O Mighty King of Heaven, There is one thing I ask: that I may live in Your presence all the days of my life and gaze upon Your beauty. I will seek You in the temple of my heart. In Your presence, I will be safe when trials, tragedy and trouble test me. Your power and promises will divinely protect me. Securely positioned in You, my lips will offer You a sacrifice of praise. When I look for You at the throne of grace, I will find You. Gazing into the warmth of Your fiery eyes, I can expect You to mercifully hear my voice and answer me. When my earthly friends and family cannot comfort me, You will coddle me in Your strong arms. It's Your divine guidance I'm seeking. With my Bible wide open, my eyes will be fixed on You. Reveling in You, I won't be crushed by my circumstances. In the splendor of Your holiness I'll be still and wait with a calm and quiet heart while You work out the details for Your glory. Living happily ever after with You is my only hope, peace and joy in this sad, sad world. You keep me from fainting under pain and pressure. O Lover of My Soul, I want nothing more than to live in uninterrupted intimacy with You all the days of my life. You are my Strong Man, and I simply want to stay in Your blessing where You will lift me up and be magnified. Amen.

If you are facing trial, tragedy or trouble, seek God. To seek is an action that means to search for, strive for, ask for, or head for something. Open Your Bible and begin looking for Him. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He is unchanging. He was the same yesterday as He is today. He will be there in all His glory if you take the time to search for Him. When You find Him, gaze upon His character. Write down His noticeable attributes so that you won't forget them in the midst of your crushing circumstances. In His presence You will be blessed with hope, peace and joy. This Psalm brings me such incredible comfort in a world at war and full of sorrows upon sorrows. I have memorized it and ponder it and pray it frequently. God has set us high upon the Rock of Jesus Christ. Nothing can come into our lives without going through Him. Safe in Him, we can sacrifice shouts of praise because we know that should we meet death, we will be ushered immediately into His presence where we will live happily ever after. No more war. No more sorrow. There is no greater thing than to be in the presence of the Almighty King.

Isaiah 60

Dear Faithful Reader,

Oops!  I took a little detour. On January 12, I leaped out in faith, and walked away from the consulting firm I had been working for during the past three years. You can read about how God led me on the Much More post on my blog: www.bethrudyconsulting.com

It was time to Arise and Shine! I don't have to tell you that we are living in very dark days. Sadness surrounds us.  

Isaiah 60 says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness covers the whole earth, and thick darkness is over all peoples, but the Lord arises upon you and his glory appears over you. You will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy ... to the honor of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has endowed you with splendor."

At my desk, I have posted a note a friend gave me in December. It says, "You are a positive force this world desperately needs." The positive force that's with me is the Holy Spirit who energizes the light of Jesus to shine through me. Jesus is what this world desperately needs.

Isaiah continues, "I will make peace your governor, and righteousness your ruler. The Lord is your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory, and your days of sorrow will end. The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in it's time I will do this swiftly." 

Now, I know this is a message to Israel, but it's also a message to the Church. God's kingdom is on earth today. We are the kingdom. You are the kingdom. I am the kingdom.

My responsibility is to arise and shine. Unfortunately, it caused a pause in Prayer Pal.

I've spent the past month in a flurry of activity - setting up my own consulting practice. Tax Payer Id. DUNS #. Registering as a woman owned small business on SAM, the government web site. Buying domain names and setting up accounts. Filing for a fictitious name. Reaching out to contacts. Designing logos. Setting up QuickBooks. All the activities that go with starting a business.

In the middle of all of it, my Mom turned 80. We threw a big surprise bash for her, bringing home family from across the state and nation to celebrate her beautiful life.

Additionally, God has brought me alongside two families with children battling cancer. I've been busy shining the light. 

I will now try to get back to regularly publishing Prayer Pal.

As I come to mind, please pray for me. I believe God is the Dream Giver, and I'm expecting Him to make my dream a reality. It's a big, audacious dream; one that I cannot achieve on my own. But with God all things are possible. My mission is to glorify God and magnify Jesus as I explain and proclaim biblical principles.

A man came up to me after I spoke at a recent business conference. He said, "Beth, you speak 'spiritual principles' in business language." He was not a follower of Jesus, but of eastern mysticism. But, he recognized the light in me, and I told him it was Jesus.

Peace is indeed my governor and righteousness my ruler. I am trusting God with all my heart, believing that He is Sovereign over everything.

Join me on this adventure by following my blog.

To God be the glory!

Beth