Do you really believe that God has a purpose for everything that you go through in life? The good, the bad and the ugly. I became a Christian at an early age. I grew up in the church. But there was a period in my life where I was sure that what was going on was working against God's plan and was not a part of God's plan.
Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-15. The very first verse of this passage says, 'There is a season for everything, a season for every activity under heaven'. Really?!?!? The writer goes on to contrast different things that made me think about my life. For instance, 'a time to be born and a time to die'. I thought about that for a moment. Before I could be born again, I had to die to self. 'A time to plant and a time to harvest'. Another pretty simple concept for me to see. Throughout most of my life I had to agree that what I planted in my spirit and my mind is what I received in return. But some of the other concepts listed were a little harder to swallow, 'a time to kill, a time to tear down, a time to cry, a time to grieve'. All of these things sounded rather painful. Nevertheless, I do believe God's word is true, so I had to figure out what all this meant and how it applied to me.
I came to one very important conclusion. Timing is important. After everything I had been through, I realized that God did not take me through those things until I was ready. Each and every trial, heartache and rocky situation had come at a time when I could handle it. Of course, I didn't think that I could. But I remembered a prayer that I had prayed a very long time ago for the Lord to use me in any way he wanted. At the time that I prayed that prayer I did not realize what that would mean. I lived a few more years and I saw that while I was changing there were times when I would look in the mirror and still see an image of myself and not one of God. So God had to try me and test me, put me in the fire, remove some people away from me, take away those things I had come to rely on more than him. But the timing of all this had to be strategically planned by God, all in his perfect will. If it came too soon then I would have given up and ran away. If it came to late then I might not have had the opportunity to help my brother or sister along the way. He had to get rid of some distractions. He had to remove some barriers.
You see every year there are four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. During each one of these seasons a different activity takes place. In the winter it becomes bitter cold and has the shortest days and the longest nights. It is often compared to a time of death. Then there is spring, the transition season. This is usally a time of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. It is also the season with the most unstable weather, because although summer is peaking in, there are some cold days still lingering on. Next comes summer. Summer is known as the wet season and during this time there are often food shortages before crops reach their full maturity. And then there is fall when we think about harvest time and enjoying the fruits of our labor. We usually forget about how much work takes place at harvest time. You see because right along with the good crops there are some weeds growing right next to them that must be pulled out at the root. But notice how all the seasons work together. One would not survive and serve it's true purpose without the one preceding it.
That's how our lives are. In order to move to the next season of our life we have to go through the season before it. There are no shortcuts. If you plant during the winter, it will die. If you try to harvest before the crop reaches maturity, you cut off the growth. It is not as valuable. There is a purpose to your life. Believe it! Receive it! No matter what situation you are facing, go on through it. I promise you will be better because of it!
Dear Lord,
Thank you for choosing me as a part of your plan. Right now I am in the ____________ season of my life. And I admit I don't fully understand what it is that you are doing. But I trust you Lord. I trust you with this process of molding me into the person that you want me to be. Help me to see your divine hand working on me and help me to walk in my purpose. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Strength for the Journey
Are you familiar with the story of when Jesus fed the multitude with a few fish and seven loaves of bread? I have heard this story since I was a small child. I read it in the Bible story books momma and daddy had on the bookshelf at home. I've heard the story preached by several ministers. Most times when I hear about this story it's all about Jesus feeding the five thousand. I want to talk today about the miracle before the miracle.
Read again Mark 8:1-10. At this time Jesus had just finished healing a deaf man and because of the wonderful things people had seen him do they told others and so right after this another crowd gathered, being taught by Jesus. He taught so wonderfully that they desired to hear more from him so they stayed with him quite a long time. So many things I can take from this but one thing I will share with you, is that you can learn so much from the Savior, so why not spend time with Him. This is kind of what we do when we study his word, attend church services, pray, work in different ministries, all in obedience and to be closer to God.
The thing that stuck out next to me was that in the midst of the crowds obedience and desire to learn more from him, Jesus saw a need. Read verse 2 again. Even though they had been with Jesus for three days, he saw that they had run out of food. Kinda like when things are going on in your life, you don't sit down, you don't give up. You continue with your routine. You're still praying, reading your Bible, going to Sunday school, singing in the choir, still listening attentively to the Lord, all the while in a wilderness. You see when you leave church on Sunday and finish listening to the sermon, you still have to go home to your wilderness. You just finished your morning quiet time with God and now off to work, your wilderness. The good news is God sees your need. It recognizes that you are running on empty and he wants to fill you up. Now of course like the disciples you may think how am I going to find anything in this wilderness. They were also listening to Jesus with the crowd and seeing all the wonderful things he had done but they still wondered. But see, when Jesus asked them what did they have, they had seven loaves of bread and they found a few fish. So what did Jesus do, he blessed it and it multiplied. Not only were they fed they were filled up and they had some leftover. (Just a footnote, I love leftovers because when I'm tired and don't feel like cooking I can just go to the refrigerator and warm up some leftovers. Right there in the refrigerator I have everything I need and I don't have to put forth any extra effort, and the best thing is when I reheat things like dressing or meatloaf it is so much better the second day because the flavors have had time to marinate and it taste so much better. Much like God's leftovers, the things we have stored up that taste so much sweeter when we pull them out the second time and they are so much more applicable to our lives at that moment.)
You see God knows the sacrifices that we make when we continue to trust him. We go to church even though we are running on empty. He sees our need and he blesses it. He takes the little that we have, which might be a sermon we heard a few Sundays ago, a scripture that we read during our morning devotion and he blesses it so that we can have strength for our journey. You see my God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So don't give up, keep trusting, keep believing. Rest assured that God sees your need and wants to show you compassion. He is there to give you strength for your journey. James Cleveland sang a song I love that said, 'little becomes much when you place it in the Master's hand'.
Dear Lord,
I am speechless. I haven't said anything to anybody. I have still been going about my daily routine and all the while I am in my very own wilderness. I thank you, Heavenly Father, because you know see me where I am and you want to do something about it. I thank you because I know that during this time I can lean on your everlasting arms and you will continue to provide for me strength for my journey. Thank you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Read again Mark 8:1-10. At this time Jesus had just finished healing a deaf man and because of the wonderful things people had seen him do they told others and so right after this another crowd gathered, being taught by Jesus. He taught so wonderfully that they desired to hear more from him so they stayed with him quite a long time. So many things I can take from this but one thing I will share with you, is that you can learn so much from the Savior, so why not spend time with Him. This is kind of what we do when we study his word, attend church services, pray, work in different ministries, all in obedience and to be closer to God.
The thing that stuck out next to me was that in the midst of the crowds obedience and desire to learn more from him, Jesus saw a need. Read verse 2 again. Even though they had been with Jesus for three days, he saw that they had run out of food. Kinda like when things are going on in your life, you don't sit down, you don't give up. You continue with your routine. You're still praying, reading your Bible, going to Sunday school, singing in the choir, still listening attentively to the Lord, all the while in a wilderness. You see when you leave church on Sunday and finish listening to the sermon, you still have to go home to your wilderness. You just finished your morning quiet time with God and now off to work, your wilderness. The good news is God sees your need. It recognizes that you are running on empty and he wants to fill you up. Now of course like the disciples you may think how am I going to find anything in this wilderness. They were also listening to Jesus with the crowd and seeing all the wonderful things he had done but they still wondered. But see, when Jesus asked them what did they have, they had seven loaves of bread and they found a few fish. So what did Jesus do, he blessed it and it multiplied. Not only were they fed they were filled up and they had some leftover. (Just a footnote, I love leftovers because when I'm tired and don't feel like cooking I can just go to the refrigerator and warm up some leftovers. Right there in the refrigerator I have everything I need and I don't have to put forth any extra effort, and the best thing is when I reheat things like dressing or meatloaf it is so much better the second day because the flavors have had time to marinate and it taste so much better. Much like God's leftovers, the things we have stored up that taste so much sweeter when we pull them out the second time and they are so much more applicable to our lives at that moment.)
You see God knows the sacrifices that we make when we continue to trust him. We go to church even though we are running on empty. He sees our need and he blesses it. He takes the little that we have, which might be a sermon we heard a few Sundays ago, a scripture that we read during our morning devotion and he blesses it so that we can have strength for our journey. You see my God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So don't give up, keep trusting, keep believing. Rest assured that God sees your need and wants to show you compassion. He is there to give you strength for your journey. James Cleveland sang a song I love that said, 'little becomes much when you place it in the Master's hand'.
Dear Lord,
I am speechless. I haven't said anything to anybody. I have still been going about my daily routine and all the while I am in my very own wilderness. I thank you, Heavenly Father, because you know see me where I am and you want to do something about it. I thank you because I know that during this time I can lean on your everlasting arms and you will continue to provide for me strength for my journey. Thank you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
First Line of Defense or Last Resort
I love sports - football, basketball, baseball, tennis. I even watch a little golf. I especially love basketball. In the game of basketball there is offense and there is defense. Offense scores the points but defense wins championships. Why is that? Because at the end of the day you can score all the points in the world but if you are not able to stop the opponent's scoring then you are just trading baskets and typically the one who ends up with the ball at the end of the game wins.
What is the believer's first line of defense? Prayer. Prayer is our direct line to God. When we are prayed up, we are equipped to handle many of the circumstanses that come up in our lives. Life may be just rolling along, nothing too major happening so our prayer life slacks off. Then trouble comes and we can't do enough praying. We are praying and we asking everyone else to pray for us. We are in panic mode. But just like in the game of basketball what if we prayed consistently from start to finish. When you play defense you are are able to stop the opponent from scoring, grab a few rebounds, get some steals and go up by a few points. You can take some time to rest. The Bible tells us that, 'the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results'. (James 5:16b) It also tells us to 'pray without ceasing'. (I Thess. 5:17) God knew that our opponent Satan was going to come at us with everything he could. So he wanted us to be prepared. When you pray you have blessed assurance that things will work out in your favor. When you pray you don't have time to worry. When you pray you can stand firm against the evil rulers of this world. When you pray you can bounce back a little quicker, rebound the ball, come out ahead. Laugh at the devil. Simply put, you can stop the devil from scoring.
You see we have an advantage against our opponent. We know that we are already victorious because God has already taken care of that with the sacrifice his Son made on the cross. When he died and went to hell and took away the keys and then got up early Sunday morning with all power. And just like a championship team we can go to the throne of grace boldly, with confidence, telling God everything so that he can impart in us the wisdom that we need to fight. Are you ready to be a champion? Are you walking victoriously? Are you using prayer as your first line of defense or are you using it as a last resort? If you are using it as a last resort, beware, time may run off the clock.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to pray. I know this is a time I can bring all my problems to you. There is no one on this earth I can tell everything to without fear of being judged or ridiculed. But I can tell you and I am so grateful. I know if I want to get better I should turn everything over to you Lord, the one who can actually do something about it. I want to be better prepared in life. I desire better communion with you. I am going to make a better effort to talk to you about everything, leaving it at your feet. And because of this I know you will recognize my voice and I will recognize yours. I know you will provide for me clear direction and I will be victorious. In Jesus' Name Amen.
What is the believer's first line of defense? Prayer. Prayer is our direct line to God. When we are prayed up, we are equipped to handle many of the circumstanses that come up in our lives. Life may be just rolling along, nothing too major happening so our prayer life slacks off. Then trouble comes and we can't do enough praying. We are praying and we asking everyone else to pray for us. We are in panic mode. But just like in the game of basketball what if we prayed consistently from start to finish. When you play defense you are are able to stop the opponent from scoring, grab a few rebounds, get some steals and go up by a few points. You can take some time to rest. The Bible tells us that, 'the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results'. (James 5:16b) It also tells us to 'pray without ceasing'. (I Thess. 5:17) God knew that our opponent Satan was going to come at us with everything he could. So he wanted us to be prepared. When you pray you have blessed assurance that things will work out in your favor. When you pray you don't have time to worry. When you pray you can stand firm against the evil rulers of this world. When you pray you can bounce back a little quicker, rebound the ball, come out ahead. Laugh at the devil. Simply put, you can stop the devil from scoring.
You see we have an advantage against our opponent. We know that we are already victorious because God has already taken care of that with the sacrifice his Son made on the cross. When he died and went to hell and took away the keys and then got up early Sunday morning with all power. And just like a championship team we can go to the throne of grace boldly, with confidence, telling God everything so that he can impart in us the wisdom that we need to fight. Are you ready to be a champion? Are you walking victoriously? Are you using prayer as your first line of defense or are you using it as a last resort? If you are using it as a last resort, beware, time may run off the clock.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to pray. I know this is a time I can bring all my problems to you. There is no one on this earth I can tell everything to without fear of being judged or ridiculed. But I can tell you and I am so grateful. I know if I want to get better I should turn everything over to you Lord, the one who can actually do something about it. I want to be better prepared in life. I desire better communion with you. I am going to make a better effort to talk to you about everything, leaving it at your feet. And because of this I know you will recognize my voice and I will recognize yours. I know you will provide for me clear direction and I will be victorious. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Danger of Becoming Shipwrecked
Most cars sold today come with a GPS system. The purpose of a GPS system is to guide you to your destination. An intersting story was told around Christmas time about a couple traveling to a familiar destination and decided to, for fun, plug the address into their GPS system. By listening to the GPS they wound up on a dead-end road, close to driving off a cliff. Now their instincts told them that this doesn't look right but yet and still they continued to follow the GPS.
Read Acts 27:1-26. This trip for Paul and the other prisoners was not an easy one. They encountered very rough sailing with severe winds and it was only going to get worse. Paul goes to the ship's officers and warns them of the impending danger but they decided to rely on the captain rather than heed the warning. This story is a lot like our lives. How many times do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us there's danger ahead. Don't go that direction because the outcome will not be favorable. Stay where you are and wait for the dust to settle. Keep quiet, now is not the time to respond. And just like the passengers on this ship and the couple headed to their inlaws house, they decided to rely on the wrong guidance. And boy, did things go wrong from there. Things just became progressively worse.
Think about the last time you didn't heed the warning sign placed in front of you. What was the result? How long did you remain shipwrecked in a disaster of your own making? How do you stop yourself from sailing into a storm and becoming shipwrecked in the future? Take a lesson from the crew. When the winds from the storm continued to beat up the ship, the crew threw over their cargo, the ship's equipment and everything else that wasn't attached to a solid foundation. You must rid yourself of the very things you have relied on in the past. Get rid of it. Don't trust it. You can't go back at this point but you can keep moving forward by relying on the Lord for his guidance in every situation.
Dear Lord,
I know I didn't listen to your warning but thank you for sparing my life. Thank you for the indwelling of your Holy Spirit that guides me along life's journey. I am tired of relying on my own devices. I surrender to you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Read Acts 27:1-26. This trip for Paul and the other prisoners was not an easy one. They encountered very rough sailing with severe winds and it was only going to get worse. Paul goes to the ship's officers and warns them of the impending danger but they decided to rely on the captain rather than heed the warning. This story is a lot like our lives. How many times do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us there's danger ahead. Don't go that direction because the outcome will not be favorable. Stay where you are and wait for the dust to settle. Keep quiet, now is not the time to respond. And just like the passengers on this ship and the couple headed to their inlaws house, they decided to rely on the wrong guidance. And boy, did things go wrong from there. Things just became progressively worse.
Think about the last time you didn't heed the warning sign placed in front of you. What was the result? How long did you remain shipwrecked in a disaster of your own making? How do you stop yourself from sailing into a storm and becoming shipwrecked in the future? Take a lesson from the crew. When the winds from the storm continued to beat up the ship, the crew threw over their cargo, the ship's equipment and everything else that wasn't attached to a solid foundation. You must rid yourself of the very things you have relied on in the past. Get rid of it. Don't trust it. You can't go back at this point but you can keep moving forward by relying on the Lord for his guidance in every situation.
Dear Lord,
I know I didn't listen to your warning but thank you for sparing my life. Thank you for the indwelling of your Holy Spirit that guides me along life's journey. I am tired of relying on my own devices. I surrender to you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Monday, April 26, 2010
There Is Still Hope
So much affliction, so much pain. When will it ever end? Take a moment and read Lamentations 3: 1 - 31. What a sad story. This had to be one of the darkest moments for Jeremiah. As a matter of fact it is rather depressing. But as I was sitting hear reading these verses I stopped. All of a sudden I read the words 'Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!' (vs 21-22) Jeremiah had just finished describing some of the sin and sorrow that was surrounding him, yet he still had hope. His hope was not in man, it was in Jesus.
How do you usually handle hopeless situations? Do you tend to focus only on what you can see? Let's take a lesson from Jeremiah who was in the very same situation. What did he do? First he refocused his attention. He took his eyes off his situation and placed them on God. He placed his focus on the one person who could actually change the situation. Then he remembered 'his unfailing love'. The love that would see him in his situation and show compassion on him. It's the kind of love that didn't worry about how he got there, God just loved him enough to not allow him to get to the point of complete destruction. He didn't care about the source of his pain. And we all know that some pain is self-inflicted. How? Because of our disobedience. God didn't even care about that. Why not? Because his mercies are new every morning. This means he refreshes our spirit. He gives us the opportunity to confess our sins, knowing that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You see, God's mercy is not just a withholding of punishment but it is God giving us help and showing compassion when we are afflicted. When we realize that God hasn't given up on us and chooses not to leave us in the state of total despair, we can shout Hallelujah!
Take the time today today to refocus your attention and remember God's unfailing love. Accept the fact that he doesn't want to leave you in the state that you are in, so he refreshes your spirit, grants you new mercies every morning. Over the next few days when you might start to beat yourself up about something you may have done, tell yourself and 'Yet I still have hope!'
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you because you see me in my current state and decide not to leave me that way. I am so very grateful. I confess my sins to you. Thank you for forgiving me. I love you Lord. Help me to always realize the hope I have in you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
How do you usually handle hopeless situations? Do you tend to focus only on what you can see? Let's take a lesson from Jeremiah who was in the very same situation. What did he do? First he refocused his attention. He took his eyes off his situation and placed them on God. He placed his focus on the one person who could actually change the situation. Then he remembered 'his unfailing love'. The love that would see him in his situation and show compassion on him. It's the kind of love that didn't worry about how he got there, God just loved him enough to not allow him to get to the point of complete destruction. He didn't care about the source of his pain. And we all know that some pain is self-inflicted. How? Because of our disobedience. God didn't even care about that. Why not? Because his mercies are new every morning. This means he refreshes our spirit. He gives us the opportunity to confess our sins, knowing that he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You see, God's mercy is not just a withholding of punishment but it is God giving us help and showing compassion when we are afflicted. When we realize that God hasn't given up on us and chooses not to leave us in the state of total despair, we can shout Hallelujah!
Take the time today today to refocus your attention and remember God's unfailing love. Accept the fact that he doesn't want to leave you in the state that you are in, so he refreshes your spirit, grants you new mercies every morning. Over the next few days when you might start to beat yourself up about something you may have done, tell yourself and 'Yet I still have hope!'
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your compassion. Thank you because you see me in my current state and decide not to leave me that way. I am so very grateful. I confess my sins to you. Thank you for forgiving me. I love you Lord. Help me to always realize the hope I have in you. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Forgiveness
One of the hardest things for me to do, at one point, was forgive. It's just wasn't natural - to forgive someone who had caused me so much pain. But I knew God instructed me to forgive and I wanted to be obedient to God so I asked Him for help. This was no easy task.
First let me start by saying that God wants us to come to him for help. If we could do things in and of ourselves then we wouldn't need God. But there are countless scriptures in the Bible that instruct us to bring our problems to him. So I sat down and had a long conversation with God telling him all the things that had happened and why I could not forgive. He led me to the story of Joseph. You know Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph who was sold by his brothers, accused by Potiphar's wife, forgotten by the cup-bearer whom he had helped and then experienced seven long years of famine. Not one of these experiences were good. And if anyone had reason to hold a grudge or harbor a spirit of unforgiveness it was Joseph. (Read Genesis 50: 14 - 21) However when he came face to face with the very brothers that had done such a hateful deed Joseph responded with love.
So how do you move from an unforgiving spirit to a forgiving spirit? How do you move from bitterness to joy? You must ask God. Forgiveness is NOT a natural instinct. But when we are saved, we replace the old man with the new man. We replace our heart with the heart of our Heavenly Father. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to assist us. Harboring an unforgiving spirit is hindering you from your divine purpose. Not only must you ask God but you must actively let the other person know that you forgive them by showing them love, extending to them kindness. This was a struggle for me. I told the Lord, 'I'll forgive them but I'm not talking to them or allowing them back into my life'. But by not doing this I was not demonstrating a true spirit of forgiveness. And the real difficult moment came when He told me that I had to ask for forgiveness as well. What?!?! I hadn't done anything. Lord you know all the things this person did to me and yet I have to ask him/her for forgiveness. And the answer was a resounding YES!
I share this with you today because as I read the story of Joseph, the verse that always stands out in my mind is verse 20 - ' As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. (NLT) What good are you missing out on because you refuse to forgive? Ask God to help you to forgive that person and then actively let that person know you forgive them. When you do these things you have the assurance that God will turn your bitterness to joy. The day I made a conscious choice to forgive my life was forever changed. It allowed me to enjoy the very things God had planned for me. Ask yourself the question, 'Is forgiveness holding me back from my blessing?' If the answer is yes, then what are you going to do about it?
Dear Lord,
I confess my sins to you today. Thank you for forgiving me. I admit that forgiveness just does not come easy for me. I come to you asking for your help to forgive ______________(be specific). I know that I cannot do it by myself. My heart is still hurting and I admit I have found comfort in the pain. It shields me from allowing anyone else to hurt me. But I don't want it anymore. I ask you to 'create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me'. I believe that you are able. In Jesus' Name Amen.
First let me start by saying that God wants us to come to him for help. If we could do things in and of ourselves then we wouldn't need God. But there are countless scriptures in the Bible that instruct us to bring our problems to him. So I sat down and had a long conversation with God telling him all the things that had happened and why I could not forgive. He led me to the story of Joseph. You know Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph who was sold by his brothers, accused by Potiphar's wife, forgotten by the cup-bearer whom he had helped and then experienced seven long years of famine. Not one of these experiences were good. And if anyone had reason to hold a grudge or harbor a spirit of unforgiveness it was Joseph. (Read Genesis 50: 14 - 21) However when he came face to face with the very brothers that had done such a hateful deed Joseph responded with love.
So how do you move from an unforgiving spirit to a forgiving spirit? How do you move from bitterness to joy? You must ask God. Forgiveness is NOT a natural instinct. But when we are saved, we replace the old man with the new man. We replace our heart with the heart of our Heavenly Father. We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to assist us. Harboring an unforgiving spirit is hindering you from your divine purpose. Not only must you ask God but you must actively let the other person know that you forgive them by showing them love, extending to them kindness. This was a struggle for me. I told the Lord, 'I'll forgive them but I'm not talking to them or allowing them back into my life'. But by not doing this I was not demonstrating a true spirit of forgiveness. And the real difficult moment came when He told me that I had to ask for forgiveness as well. What?!?! I hadn't done anything. Lord you know all the things this person did to me and yet I have to ask him/her for forgiveness. And the answer was a resounding YES!
I share this with you today because as I read the story of Joseph, the verse that always stands out in my mind is verse 20 - ' As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. (NLT) What good are you missing out on because you refuse to forgive? Ask God to help you to forgive that person and then actively let that person know you forgive them. When you do these things you have the assurance that God will turn your bitterness to joy. The day I made a conscious choice to forgive my life was forever changed. It allowed me to enjoy the very things God had planned for me. Ask yourself the question, 'Is forgiveness holding me back from my blessing?' If the answer is yes, then what are you going to do about it?
Dear Lord,
I confess my sins to you today. Thank you for forgiving me. I admit that forgiveness just does not come easy for me. I come to you asking for your help to forgive ______________(be specific). I know that I cannot do it by myself. My heart is still hurting and I admit I have found comfort in the pain. It shields me from allowing anyone else to hurt me. But I don't want it anymore. I ask you to 'create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me'. I believe that you are able. In Jesus' Name Amen.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
God's Perfect Timing
I was led this morning to repeat this posting. I pray you are blessed.
'This is what the Lord says, At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation, I will help you. I will give you as a token and pledge to Israel. This will prove that I will reestablish the land of Israel and reassign it to its own people again." (Isaiah 49:8)
(Read Isaiah 49: 8 - 26)
Leaving Bible Study on Wednesday night, a dear sister of mine hugged me and said, ' now that was right on time.' It was just what she needed for the particular season she was at in her life. On the ride home I remembered how many times I had said those exact words. Most times I was at what I considered to be 'the end of my rope'. I just couldn't take any more. We like to say all the nice cliche phrases like, 'He's an on-time God' and 'He may not come when you want him but he's always on time'. But when the burdens of life are pressing you down do you really believe it?
How do you move from mere words to application? You must trust God. Trust that he knows what is best for you. God has many reasons for delaying our deliverance. But God's delay is not his denial. He is perfectly working out the details. Ask yourself what if God gave me everything I asked for immediately. Would I value it as much? You must hold fast to the hope that is in Christ Jesus. Every trial you face has a purpose. Only God knows what that purpose is but I can tell you that you will be better and God will be glorified.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your perfect timing. Times are tough right now. I'm having a hard time holding on. Help me to hold fast to your unchanging hand, realizing that in the end things will work out for my good. In Jesus' Name Amen.
'This is what the Lord says, At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation, I will help you. I will give you as a token and pledge to Israel. This will prove that I will reestablish the land of Israel and reassign it to its own people again." (Isaiah 49:8)
(Read Isaiah 49: 8 - 26)
Leaving Bible Study on Wednesday night, a dear sister of mine hugged me and said, ' now that was right on time.' It was just what she needed for the particular season she was at in her life. On the ride home I remembered how many times I had said those exact words. Most times I was at what I considered to be 'the end of my rope'. I just couldn't take any more. We like to say all the nice cliche phrases like, 'He's an on-time God' and 'He may not come when you want him but he's always on time'. But when the burdens of life are pressing you down do you really believe it?
How do you move from mere words to application? You must trust God. Trust that he knows what is best for you. God has many reasons for delaying our deliverance. But God's delay is not his denial. He is perfectly working out the details. Ask yourself what if God gave me everything I asked for immediately. Would I value it as much? You must hold fast to the hope that is in Christ Jesus. Every trial you face has a purpose. Only God knows what that purpose is but I can tell you that you will be better and God will be glorified.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for your perfect timing. Times are tough right now. I'm having a hard time holding on. Help me to hold fast to your unchanging hand, realizing that in the end things will work out for my good. In Jesus' Name Amen.
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