Have you ever experienced an 'Ah-Ha" moment that just really changed your life? Today I had an awesome 'Ah-Ha' moment. A lot of emphasis is placed on trust in a relationship whether it be a marriage, a friendship, a work relationship, etc. We place all our trust in our husband, our wife, our best friend, our boss, our co-worker, so much so that when they devastate us we are damaged beyond repair. We hold on to the pain. We build up a wall. We don't forgive and if we do it is only after we have made them pay for it. Earlier today while driving home the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "Why are you so surprised? You are to trust in God, not in man." Light bulb!!!! You see, God will never betray you, forsake you, stab you in the back, or lay you off. As my dad always says, "All of God's promises are Yea and Amen" He has your best interest at heart always.
In His Word He tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lead not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy path'. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. Isaiah 26: 4
O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34: 8
He who deals wisely and heeds [God's] word and counsel shall find good, and whoever leans on, trusts in, and is confident in the Lord--happy, blessed, and fortunate is he. Proverbs 16: 20
He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident in his riches shall fall, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like a green bough. Proverbs 11: 28
These are just a few of the verses that tell us we are to fully rely on God. I love how we are not only told to Trust God, but also what benefit we will receive. The difference between trusting God and trusting man is that man will let us down every time. God never will. I have found out that even when facing the biggest disappointment or heartbreak God is there waiting with open arms. He wants you to give it all to Him. It would be great if we got this the first time. If we trusted God completely to lead, guide and direct our lives. If we relied on Him to take us through those steps to help make us better even when we don't understand. I look back over my life and thought about times when I didn't trust God for protection, for guidance. How many times I put too much pressure on those I love expecting them to give me something they were not capable of giving. I looked to them to provide me with security that could only come from the Most High God. The time is now for you trust God in every area of your life. When you fully accept that He alone can provide you with those intangibles that you have been looking for your whole life like love, acceptance, security and worth and stop seeking them in man, your life will never be the same. Allow Him to change your life. He is the only one who can.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
I come to You first asking forgiveness for not completely trusting You. I have relied on so many other people and things and wound up disappointed and hurt. I put my faith in someone who has the same issues I have instead of You. Today I am putting my trust in You. I know that when someone does disappoint me or breaks my heart I have You right there by my side to help put the pieces of my life back together again. To restore my soul. Help me to be an example to those around me of Your goodness and Your unfailing love. In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Over and Over
Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!
(Matthew 18:21-22, NLV)
Why am I always getting placed in these situations where I have to be the bigger person? Having my kindness mistaken for weakness. Just because I am a Christian and I am trying to live right, to control my temper and my tongue, I am constantly placed in situations where I am tested. I don't ask for much. To be loved and respected. To be treated as those I come in contact with want to be treated. Yet, here I stand once again in a situation where I have to forgive. "Again, Lord," I cry out. And in a calm but quiet voice He says, "Yes my child, again." But it is so unfair.
I can only imagine what was going through Peter's mind when He asked Jesus this question. I bet He was hoping Jesus said once, maybe twice. Instead he replied, "Seventy times seven." 490 times! That is alot. But today I had a reality check. In thirty-seven years I can only imagine how many times God has forgiven me. Let me see...at least daily. So that's 37 times 365 days a year. That's 13,505. Now what about those days I sinned more than once in a day. While my heart may be sad when someone does me wrong and breaks my heart, I can't stop thinking about how my actions sadden God. And after all that He has done for me. Not once has He stopped loving me or turned His back on me. Yet and still, here I am holding something over my brother or sister's head. Maybe I did forgive, that doesn't stop the wall from being built up around my heart.
Now I am not saying that it is going to be easy but what I am saying is that 'forgiveness is possible'. You may have to pray and ask God to help you to forgive depending on the severity of the offense. Just remember that God specializes in the impossible. He can do what no other power can do. One of the most valuable lessons that I have learned is that 'forgiveness is a gift'. This gift is not for the person who offended you but it is for you. If you are having difficulty forgiving someone, construct a resume. Not of your qualifications but of your imperfections. These are the things that you pray and ask God to forgive on a daily basis. Those things that you can't seem to shake. When you write down those things down you remember that you are but a filthy rag. A sinner saved by grace. Once you really comprehend the grace and mercy of God, your heart should soften and you will be more apt to forgive those that do you wrong. If you find yourself still struggling with this, pray about it. God still answers prayer!
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your forgiveness. When I look in the mirror and see all my imperfections I realize how grateful I am to be a recipient of your grace and mercy. Help me to forgive those that do my wrong. I want to be able to keep no record of wrongs so that I can love as You love. I want to have good relationships with my family and my friends. I don't want to be so closed of from those who made a mistake like I have done and desire to make a change. Help me not to judge their sincerity. In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Love Like That
Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.. I Peter 4:8 (NLV)
Because I read my Bible and study God's word, pray on a regular basis, and attend church pretty regularly does not make me any better than you. If my attitude or behavior makes me appear to be superior than I am not behaving in a way that represents God the way He wants me to. I am not loving in a way that shows that I am but a sinner saved by grace. Each and every day I still fall short. I have to confess my sins daily. My path to heaven may not be the same as yours but that is not important. What is important is that we all make it to heaven. What a sad day it will be if those that I come in contact with on a regular basis do not see a consistent display of God's love shining through in my life on a daily basis. Will I be responsible for hindering someone from wanting to be saved? To experience the unconditional love of such an awesome God.
Love is an important part of being a Christian. As we aspire to be more like God in the way we walk, in the way we talk, in the way we live, and in the way we give, we cannot achieve this without giving the love of God generously. This love is not to be withheld as a bargaining tool to try to get someone to see things our way. It should not be given only to those that look like us or meet certain standards. This love should be given to the homeless person on the street corner, the husband/wife you share a bed with and to the boss/co-worker that you see on a daily basis. One of the most difficult aspects of love for a Christian is forgiveness. After a while I believe that we become ungrateful to God for the forgiveness that we receive. His grace and His mercy as well. We stop having compassion for those around us. We decide when someone should be better and how many chances they have to get it right. This is a very common mistake of believers. I have a couple of questions for you. "Who died and left you both judge and jury?" Another question would be "What if God treated you the same way you are treating your brother or your sister?" These questions should make you think. They should prompt you to want to be better. They should make your re-evaluate some things about your life.
I love the verse written above. The first two words of the passage lets you know how important love is. The writer tells us that above all else, LOVE. True love to another makes us kind to his imperfections, charitable toward his faults, and often blind even to the existence of faults. We would not see the imperfections of those whom we love; and our attachment for what we esteem their real excellencies, makes us insensible to their errors. Have you ever been broken maybe because of the that comes from the Lord and someone extends to you the love of God. They welcome you back into the fold and let you know that everything is going to be alright. How did you feel. We have all been in a position where we have felt unworthy to receive the love of God and oh what a wonderful feeling when He wraps his arms around us anyway saying, 'My child, I love you." As followers of Christ we should be no different. No matter how much they hurt or mistreat you, we are called to LOVE. For love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. (I Corinthians 13:4-5) Maybe you don't understand that why you have been mistreated and maybe in the past your response has been to get even. I challenge you today to give it to God. Ask God to help you to show love, real love. Not the kind of love that is dependent upon circumstance but a love that comes from knowing that God loves you. That should be the difference maker.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
Lord help me to love like you love. To forgive like you forgive. To keep no record of wrongs. To be patient with those around me. Help me to remember that but for the love, the grace and the mercy you have extended to me, I am but a sinner unworthy of your blessings. I thank You for Your Son, Jesus who was sent to die on the cross for my sins, because He loved me, Let me never forget where I came from. I will be so careful to give You all the glory, honor and the praise. In Jesus' Wonderful Name I pray Amen.
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Best Is Yet To Come
Do you remember what your life was like before you accepted Christ as your personal Saviour? Being raised in the church, I accepted Christ at the age of twelve. I don't remember what life was like before that because it seemed like church was all we did in our house. But as an adult I do remember a time period when the Lord didn't seem present and nothing but storm after storm came and I felt so alone. A time of total destruction of the life that I had built. Now before this time period came, life was wonderful. Everything seemed to be running on all cylinders. I didn't even see the storm approaching or total destruction heading my way. I'm sure there were warning signs but apparently I ignored them. But to make a long story short....destruction came. And I had to go through the process of rebuilding. Much like the people in the book of Haggai.
Read the entire book of Haggai. (It's only two chapters) The temple had been destroyed and they had been instructed to rebuild the temple. And amazingly enough, after fifteen years, it still was not completed. Why? Because they were more concerned with building their own houses then the house of the Lord. (Let me put a footnote here - You must get your priorities straight. Spiritual house, then earthly house.) But that's not what I want to talk about. The question was asked 'Is there anyone who can remember this house - the Temple - as it was before?' In comparison, how does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all. (Haggai 2:3) That is why I asked the question at the beginning, 'Do you remember how your life was before you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? I know that there are many Christians who did not grow up in the church or accept Him at an early age. I could also ask the question 'Do you remember what your life was like before you decided to fully commit to him'? You may have accepted him as a child but you didn't really start walking with him until you were older. Whatever the case may be, do you recognize a difference? Does it appear to be better or worse? You see, in the life before Christ you may had thought you were doing alright. Life was just rolling on. You didn't have too many problems. You had a job. Your health was alright. Your children were behaving. Your marriage was doing great. Great friends all around you. Things were wonderful. You can sit here today and reminisce over the good times. Now I want you to think about life after Christ. How have things changed for you? Have things gotten better? Is there a point where you can say 'because of Christ, my life is better'. In this story in the book of Haggai, God realized that there was a small remnant of people who remembered what the temple was like before destruction. And now they were looking at the temple now and it just didn't seem as grand. He wanted them to know that this temple would be even greater not because of the amount of gold or silver or the design of the temple but because God was with them. He had promised never to leave them. Even though they had experienced captivity and the temple had been destroyed, he was still with them. He kept his promise! And let me tell you something, there is no comparison when it comes to life with God versus life without God. What tools did you have to help you stand in the time of trouble? Did you have peace in the midst of a storm? When you set out to accomplish a task, were the results everything you wanted them to be? Or 'when you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, did you harvest only ten' , or when you expected to draw fifty gallons from the wine press, did you find only twenty. (Haggai 2:16) You see, God wants us to realize and appreciate the true impact he has on our lives. We should never be foolish enough to think we have accomplished anything, in and of ourselves. We must come to really know the meaning of Romans 8:28. And as the scripture says here in Haggai 2:9, "The future of this Temple will be greater than its past glory..." Your latter will be your greater. Don't be discouraged when you start to think about how your life used to be and that by outside appearance it seemed to be better than your life is now. Rest assured that with God in control of your life, things can and will only be better. Trust him to make it happen and be obedient to his will. Know that when you put him first EVERYTHING else will fall into place. (Matthew 6:33)
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your presence in my life. Thank you, because even though I may have experienced total destruction, trials and tribulations you have never left my side. I know that I can count on you to be with me thru it all. Help me to remember that when I look back over my life and I feel the urge to want to go back to my life before you I will stop and think and say no. I will continue to walk in your ways. Help me to rest on your promise that my latter will be my greater. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
Read the entire book of Haggai. (It's only two chapters) The temple had been destroyed and they had been instructed to rebuild the temple. And amazingly enough, after fifteen years, it still was not completed. Why? Because they were more concerned with building their own houses then the house of the Lord. (Let me put a footnote here - You must get your priorities straight. Spiritual house, then earthly house.) But that's not what I want to talk about. The question was asked 'Is there anyone who can remember this house - the Temple - as it was before?' In comparison, how does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all. (Haggai 2:3) That is why I asked the question at the beginning, 'Do you remember how your life was before you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? I know that there are many Christians who did not grow up in the church or accept Him at an early age. I could also ask the question 'Do you remember what your life was like before you decided to fully commit to him'? You may have accepted him as a child but you didn't really start walking with him until you were older. Whatever the case may be, do you recognize a difference? Does it appear to be better or worse? You see, in the life before Christ you may had thought you were doing alright. Life was just rolling on. You didn't have too many problems. You had a job. Your health was alright. Your children were behaving. Your marriage was doing great. Great friends all around you. Things were wonderful. You can sit here today and reminisce over the good times. Now I want you to think about life after Christ. How have things changed for you? Have things gotten better? Is there a point where you can say 'because of Christ, my life is better'. In this story in the book of Haggai, God realized that there was a small remnant of people who remembered what the temple was like before destruction. And now they were looking at the temple now and it just didn't seem as grand. He wanted them to know that this temple would be even greater not because of the amount of gold or silver or the design of the temple but because God was with them. He had promised never to leave them. Even though they had experienced captivity and the temple had been destroyed, he was still with them. He kept his promise! And let me tell you something, there is no comparison when it comes to life with God versus life without God. What tools did you have to help you stand in the time of trouble? Did you have peace in the midst of a storm? When you set out to accomplish a task, were the results everything you wanted them to be? Or 'when you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, did you harvest only ten' , or when you expected to draw fifty gallons from the wine press, did you find only twenty. (Haggai 2:16) You see, God wants us to realize and appreciate the true impact he has on our lives. We should never be foolish enough to think we have accomplished anything, in and of ourselves. We must come to really know the meaning of Romans 8:28. And as the scripture says here in Haggai 2:9, "The future of this Temple will be greater than its past glory..." Your latter will be your greater. Don't be discouraged when you start to think about how your life used to be and that by outside appearance it seemed to be better than your life is now. Rest assured that with God in control of your life, things can and will only be better. Trust him to make it happen and be obedient to his will. Know that when you put him first EVERYTHING else will fall into place. (Matthew 6:33)
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your presence in my life. Thank you, because even though I may have experienced total destruction, trials and tribulations you have never left my side. I know that I can count on you to be with me thru it all. Help me to remember that when I look back over my life and I feel the urge to want to go back to my life before you I will stop and think and say no. I will continue to walk in your ways. Help me to rest on your promise that my latter will be my greater. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
I'm Still Standing
Standing on the promises of Christ my King. Thru eternal ages let his praises ring. Glory in the highest I will should and sing. Standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises I cannot fail. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail. By the living Word of God I shall prevail. Standing on the promises of God.
God cannot lie. Whatever He has promised me, it will come to pass. I tell myself these very words all the time. Sometimes several times a day. Why? Because some days I become discouraged. Things are not turning out as I thought they would. I've grown tired of seeing others prosper. They are happy. They're married, why aren't I? They have children. I want a child. They have nice things. I deserve them to. I'm living right. I'm studying the Word. I'm praying more. I even started going to Sunday school and Bible study. Yet it seems as though God has forgotten about me.
Read Hebrew 6: 8-20. Let me begin by saying God knows exactly what He is doing. Right at a moment of discouragement, I read these verses. This is not something that I did not know. I just needed a reminder. And today I don't have any profound thoughts for you. I am simply going to let the Word speak for itself.
God sees everything. And because He sees everything you don't have to tell Him the things you do as His representative. But God doesn't honor His promises because of what you do. He honors them because of who He is. God does not change. If He has told you something it will come to pass. We all know the story of Abraham. Did you know that it took twenty-five years before God made good on that promise to Abraham to give him a son? Some of you may look at this in the negative. Twenty-five years. I may not even have twenty-five years left in my life. I want to try and help change your way of thinking. In an earlier post I shared with you that God's timing is perfect timing. I still believe that. The truth that you must look at and hold on to is that God kept his promise. The time frame should not be your focus. You must continue to have hope.
"When people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it." (verse 16) Like in the U.S. court system where the witness places his hand on the Bible and swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth 'so help me God'. When God makes a promise you can take it to the bank. There is no need to think the check might bounce. There is none greater than the living God. So the next time Satan tries to sneak into your mind that spirit of discouragement or defeat, fight back with the Word.
At the beginning of this post I wrote the words to a hymn we used to sing at church, Standing on the Promises. This hymn says exactly what I am talking about. God's promises are secure ground to stand on. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this hymn, I'll quote one of my favorite songs performed by Donnie McClurkin. This song does something to me every time I hear it. The song is called 'Stand'. Now Donnie doesn't say that anything about standing on God's promises, but it does say this:
What do you do when you've done all you can and it seems like it's never enough. And what do you say when your friends turn away, you're all alone. What do you give? When you've given your all and seems like you can't make it thru. Well you just stand. Stand. When there's nothing left to do. You just stand. Watch the Lord see you thru. After you've done all you can. You just stand.
So let me paint a picture of what is playing in my mind when I am listening to or singing this song. God's promises to me. This song is talking to the discouraged, disheartened believer. The one who is trying his/her best to live life the way God wants them to. This song is talking to the believer who may have just hit a rough patch and is thinking what's the point of all this Christianity anyway. The believer who made a mistake and even the people in the church have turned their backs on him. Ever been this believer that I am talking about. I have? And God's Word pulled me up out of my own pity party every time. I picked up my head and stuck out my chest and planted my feet. I stood firmly on the Word of God.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father:
Today I don't feel much like praying. Today I am just thankful that you already know what I am going thru. Today I just want to say thank you for your Word. Thank you for the promises made to me. I am now standing on those promises. Satan can't steal my joy. I will not be defeated. I will no longer be discouraged. I will trust you. Thank you Lord for your Word that cannot and will not return void. In you, Oh Lord, I have hope. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
Standing on the promises I cannot fail. When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail. By the living Word of God I shall prevail. Standing on the promises of God.
God cannot lie. Whatever He has promised me, it will come to pass. I tell myself these very words all the time. Sometimes several times a day. Why? Because some days I become discouraged. Things are not turning out as I thought they would. I've grown tired of seeing others prosper. They are happy. They're married, why aren't I? They have children. I want a child. They have nice things. I deserve them to. I'm living right. I'm studying the Word. I'm praying more. I even started going to Sunday school and Bible study. Yet it seems as though God has forgotten about me.
Read Hebrew 6: 8-20. Let me begin by saying God knows exactly what He is doing. Right at a moment of discouragement, I read these verses. This is not something that I did not know. I just needed a reminder. And today I don't have any profound thoughts for you. I am simply going to let the Word speak for itself.
God sees everything. And because He sees everything you don't have to tell Him the things you do as His representative. But God doesn't honor His promises because of what you do. He honors them because of who He is. God does not change. If He has told you something it will come to pass. We all know the story of Abraham. Did you know that it took twenty-five years before God made good on that promise to Abraham to give him a son? Some of you may look at this in the negative. Twenty-five years. I may not even have twenty-five years left in my life. I want to try and help change your way of thinking. In an earlier post I shared with you that God's timing is perfect timing. I still believe that. The truth that you must look at and hold on to is that God kept his promise. The time frame should not be your focus. You must continue to have hope.
"When people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it." (verse 16) Like in the U.S. court system where the witness places his hand on the Bible and swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth 'so help me God'. When God makes a promise you can take it to the bank. There is no need to think the check might bounce. There is none greater than the living God. So the next time Satan tries to sneak into your mind that spirit of discouragement or defeat, fight back with the Word.
At the beginning of this post I wrote the words to a hymn we used to sing at church, Standing on the Promises. This hymn says exactly what I am talking about. God's promises are secure ground to stand on. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this hymn, I'll quote one of my favorite songs performed by Donnie McClurkin. This song does something to me every time I hear it. The song is called 'Stand'. Now Donnie doesn't say that anything about standing on God's promises, but it does say this:
What do you do when you've done all you can and it seems like it's never enough. And what do you say when your friends turn away, you're all alone. What do you give? When you've given your all and seems like you can't make it thru. Well you just stand. Stand. When there's nothing left to do. You just stand. Watch the Lord see you thru. After you've done all you can. You just stand.
So let me paint a picture of what is playing in my mind when I am listening to or singing this song. God's promises to me. This song is talking to the discouraged, disheartened believer. The one who is trying his/her best to live life the way God wants them to. This song is talking to the believer who may have just hit a rough patch and is thinking what's the point of all this Christianity anyway. The believer who made a mistake and even the people in the church have turned their backs on him. Ever been this believer that I am talking about. I have? And God's Word pulled me up out of my own pity party every time. I picked up my head and stuck out my chest and planted my feet. I stood firmly on the Word of God.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father:
Today I don't feel much like praying. Today I am just thankful that you already know what I am going thru. Today I just want to say thank you for your Word. Thank you for the promises made to me. I am now standing on those promises. Satan can't steal my joy. I will not be defeated. I will no longer be discouraged. I will trust you. Thank you Lord for your Word that cannot and will not return void. In you, Oh Lord, I have hope. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Our Father
'The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust'. Psalm 103:13-14
I sat for a while today and thought about where my life would be if I had given up on myself. There have been days and nights that were simply unbearable. Plans that I had made were crushed. Certain dreams that I had never happened. Days when I just did not want to get out of the bed. Sound familiar to anyone? While I know each person has his or her own story, I believe everyone has thought about giving up.
If you have or have had those thoughts, I have a question for you. Have you every stopped to think what your life would be like if God gave up on you? Life sometimes can deal us a horrible hand. We make plans and those plans never happen. We love and we get our heart broken. We raise our children and they disappoint us. We get laid off. We get sick. We watch loved ones die. Many days we feel all alone. There are also days when we are striving to do our best to live right and still we fall short and disobey God. Yet and still He keeps right on keeping his promises. He keeps right on making a way for us. Not because of who we are but because of who He is. And today that's the best news in the world.
Yes, there are times when God must discipline us. Some behaviors we continue to display must be broken. But don't you realize that, even more so than a disciplinarian, he wants to comfort us. He knows how weak we are, even on our best day. Mistakes are going to happen but don't let that discourage you. There are times when I'm rolling along so well. Everything seems to be moving along on all cylinders. I've just had great quiet time or my own little praise and worship session and then I step out of my bubble and life happens. My reactions aren't always the best. When I'm hurt I put up a wall and can be downright mean to the person on the other side of that wall. It's my defense mechanism. When I really want something, even though God has told me that it's not for me right now, I still go after it, bumping my head time and time again. But none of that matters. He continues to love me. He holds his arms out and says, "Come my child and rest on my shoulders. I still love you. You will make it. I'm right here by your side. I never left." And those words to me, at just that right moment, are worth more than all the gold in the world. Simply because the One who is in control of everything is still on the throne and he hasn't given up on me.
My brother and my sister, as a child of the most high, it gets discouraging to know that we continue to let God down. We don't do the best with the talents he gave us. We are going to fall sometimes but we don't have to stay down. The scripture says, "Two are better than one because if one falls the other is there to pick him up." Now don't get me wrong I am thankful for the people who have helped me to get up again. However, let's look at this verse from a different perspective. I concur that two are better than one, especially when the 2nd person is God himself. He has all the power to help us get back up again. And He will continue to be there for us because He will never give up on His children. Thank you Lord!
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
I praise you today. I thank you for loving me. I thank you even more today because you have never given up on me. I've let you down and I am so sorry. Yet even with all my faults you continue to make a way for me. There are so many things that I don't do as I should. So many things I know I need to do better and with your help I know that I can and will do better. I just can't thank you enough Lord for your forgiveness, your compassion. I love you so very much Lord. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
God is Working
Keep on praying. Don't give up on God for He is at work. He is faithful and He will make good one each and every one of His promises. Stop trying to see everything beforehand. There I sat today pondering a simple question. "Do you realize the investment that God has made in your life?" This question made me think really hard because so many times we do not see or acknowledge God at work in our lives. Now don't get me wrong we don't have a problem seeing God or acknowledging Him at work when it is something phenomenal or supernatural. But God doesn't work like that all the time. And even though He doesn't work like that all the time I hope you know He is definitely always at work in your life. He has made an investment in you. An investment that won't go bad when the market declines.
What do I mean by investment? He sacrificed his only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. He went all the way down to hell and snatched the keys. He left us a road map...the Word... for us to follow. We are surrounded by a most awesome cloud of witnesses cheering us on every day as we run our race. Not a day goes by that God himself isn't rooting you on to victory. We often give honor and praise to our parents, our spouses, our closest friends for investing time in us, supporting us and being there for us in our time of need. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But don't forget to give God the glory and honor and praise for what He does for you on a daily basis. I look at it this way if my parents were able to help me financial or emotionally, it was because God allowed them to. The tender moments you receive from your spouse just when you needed a little extra love, it was because God's love was showing through him or her. When your friend calls you out of the blue just to check on you or sends you an encouraging message or card, it is because God decided to use them as the instrument to bless you.
Think about when you got up this morning. Do you know that it was because God allowed you to get up this morning? Did you thank Him for it? Did you praise him for the job that you have to go to, even if it is a job you don't care for too much. What about the house you live in, the car you drive, the food you eat, a drive to work without traffic, a ride to work without any accidents? While you may not see these things as investments, they are definitely the hand of God at work in your life. You see, as God does for you, the more you acknowledge him, the brighter the light shines from you so that others might see and they may come to know the God that you know and love and serve. Isn't that what it's all about anyway....bringing others to Christ? Take time this week to look for the hand of God at work in your life and when you see him at work, stop and thank him for it.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
I must admit that I do not always see you at work in my life. I am asking you to open my eyes so that I might see you in my everyday life. Help me to feel your presence all day long. I want to take a moment to thank you right now for everything that you have done and are going to do in my life. It brings me great joy and I love you. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
What do I mean by investment? He sacrificed his only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. He went all the way down to hell and snatched the keys. He left us a road map...the Word... for us to follow. We are surrounded by a most awesome cloud of witnesses cheering us on every day as we run our race. Not a day goes by that God himself isn't rooting you on to victory. We often give honor and praise to our parents, our spouses, our closest friends for investing time in us, supporting us and being there for us in our time of need. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! But don't forget to give God the glory and honor and praise for what He does for you on a daily basis. I look at it this way if my parents were able to help me financial or emotionally, it was because God allowed them to. The tender moments you receive from your spouse just when you needed a little extra love, it was because God's love was showing through him or her. When your friend calls you out of the blue just to check on you or sends you an encouraging message or card, it is because God decided to use them as the instrument to bless you.
Think about when you got up this morning. Do you know that it was because God allowed you to get up this morning? Did you thank Him for it? Did you praise him for the job that you have to go to, even if it is a job you don't care for too much. What about the house you live in, the car you drive, the food you eat, a drive to work without traffic, a ride to work without any accidents? While you may not see these things as investments, they are definitely the hand of God at work in your life. You see, as God does for you, the more you acknowledge him, the brighter the light shines from you so that others might see and they may come to know the God that you know and love and serve. Isn't that what it's all about anyway....bringing others to Christ? Take time this week to look for the hand of God at work in your life and when you see him at work, stop and thank him for it.
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
I must admit that I do not always see you at work in my life. I am asking you to open my eyes so that I might see you in my everyday life. Help me to feel your presence all day long. I want to take a moment to thank you right now for everything that you have done and are going to do in my life. It brings me great joy and I love you. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
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