Deliberate

Featured ~ Lisa Brittain

Today’s writing is dedicated to another author, Fiona, who writes the blog, Finding God in the Everyday. First thing this morning as I began my daily quiet reading and pondering time, her post was inviting me to start with her thoughts on the one word, deliberate. Before I could go and look for the word on which we write this 12th day of May 2023, she handed it to me along with a thought I also hold dear. Her words, “I love when the prompt ties up with my day’s Bible reading!”

What I hold even dearer is that her words turned my eyes toward Jesus and His Word. Thank you, Fiona and Kate Motaung, with whom I participate for another Five Minute Friday. Setting my timer for 5 minutes and letting my pondering thoughts become words in print.

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de·​lib·​er·​ate  1: characterized by or resulting from careful and thorough consideration (a deliberate decision) 2: characterized by awareness of the consequences (a deliberate exaggeration; a deliberate act of protest) 3: slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for a decision on each individual action involved

Merriam-Webster

Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 

Deuteronomy 8:1-2

Some of the first words I read this morning were these: “I love when the prompt ties up with my day’s Bible reading!” Words contained within a blog post sent me directly to my YouVersion Bible app. I too wanted to see how this one word might fit with my daily Bible reading plan. My assigned reading for today showed Deuteronomy 8-11. Actually, this was yesterday’s assigned reading because, as usual, I am a day behind. However, this is where I left off and so I began to read.

“Be careful… and remember…So obey…be sure…be careful…beware…do not forget…be careful…” I think you get the point. The words of Moses in these four chapters are a call to be deliberate in choosing a loving and faithful relationship with God. Of course, his words were directed at the Israelite people with whom he had wandered the wilderness for the last 4o years of his life. But God intended the words for all of us. His words and His purposes are eternal and good.

In my pondering, it dawned on me afresh that God wants us to live a deliberate life because He is a good Father. He wants the best for us, but He knows our tendency to wander. God is the One who actually embodies the meaning of deliberate. God is faithful. He is long-suffering. God is the promise keeper. He deliberately treats us with mercy and grace and loving discipline because He knows us. He has seen our pride and stubborn independence. And yet God loves us and is devoted to His purposes and plans.

 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Deliberate. My faith isn’t cultivated without intention. My eyes don’t seek Jesus accidentally. I must be purposeful. And so, I have a Savior who helps me to be devoted. He is faithful. He is the deliberate one.

And I am remembering this again today.

Eyes on Jesus and Shine,

~Lisa

Published by Lisa Brittain

I am an avid follower of Jesus. I have been since my early twenties when I met Him personally and received dramatic healing in my body and mind. After many years of marriage and raising sons into the teen years, I was challenged to explore the duplicity of my spoken faith followed up by fearful actions. I received the challenge presented by both of my sons. They love me and so they dared to confront me with the truth. Chips off my proverbial block! I determined then {more than a decade ago} to overcome fear with faith that was more than words. In my late 40's I made a decision to leave the desert wandering behind and set out to pursue the abundant life Jesus promised His disciples. I am a tentmaker {actually a reupholsterer} by day, which helps to support the call God has on my life to serve Him in my community. I thoroughly enjoy my work. Repairing and restoring throw-away furniture is a fulfilling creative outlet. More so, my Cheer House Repair and Restore business opens the door for me to interact with my community. My passion is to walk so closely to Jesus that others want to know Him too. I love to introduce women to Him as we walk, talk, and work together hand in hand through everyday life. Nothing thrills me more than to watch someone fall so in love with Jesus through His word and conversation; learning to trust His heart and receive His great love! I have been married to my dear man for over 30 rollercoaster years. We're simply thrilled that our latter days are more joyful and purposeful than our first. Together we have two - grown young men on their own journeys. Additionally, we share our home with 3 lively rescue pups. I look forward to having you join me on this journey of faith... Bold feet, humble heart Psalm 131 ~ Lisa

7 thoughts on “Deliberate”

  1. This resonated with me, Lisa, “He deliberately treats us with mercy and grace and loving discipline because He knows us.” He is so good to us!

  2. Our walk with Christ must be deliberate as it will not grow by accident. I am so grateful that as we intentionally develop the habit of meeting with Him each day, He helps us to be disciplined and deliberate in our walk. This is beautiful >> “He is the deliberate One.” Amen!

  3. I thought myself the cat’s meow,
    by my greatness I was awed,
    and my friend, that’s simply how
    I went and forgot all ’bout God.
    I went to church and mouthed the words,
    and sometimes I fell asleep,
    but always mind was headed towards
    appointments that I sought to keep,
    the landmarks on my grand life-plan,
    what I thought I was made to do,
    but in the hour-glass sand ran
    and cancer came, and I was through
    to begin to get to know
    the God who wouldn’t let me go.

  4. I like how you tied this all together. We do need to mind our own steps when it comes to how we live out what we believe. FMF16

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