Have you ever noticed how people will pray according to the size of their issues? They pray without ceasing if it's a big ole issue...but with the smaller stuff, well they just try to handle those on their own because why bother God with that stuff?! I find it interesting because I do it myself, but I'm learning, albeit slowly, that we do serve a God of details...even the tiniest, most insignificant ones that don't make a hill of beans to anyone else besides us.
Case in point, a few weeks back I was actually thinking about this blog to be honest. I pray over each post I write, but I realized I really hadn't been praying daily about how God would use my words now and in the future and that's an area I felt I needed to focus my prayers. So, I did...and here's when the cool things started happening.
First off, in the same night of praying about this, I check my email before bed and there's an email from a blogger I read recommending a friend who is in the business of helping you get your blog to the next level. I think, cool...I will check into that, but no big deal. The next morning, in my quiet time, I pray again about the situation and then start reading my Bible study and happen to be in Proverbs 31...which reminds me to pray that I will strive to be a Proverbs 31 woman...so I pray about that, too!
But, here's where it gets interesting...later on in the day, a friend of mine who rarely ever emails me, forwards me a friend's blog that she thought I would enjoy. At the bottom, there is info to subscribe to a daily devotional...and what might that be you ask? Proverbs 31 Woman...whoa...interesting (and this makes me sit up and take notice)! But even better than THAT, at the very, very bottom of this email, is a link about a conference that's coming up where Christian writers and speakers can go and hone their skills and develop their craft...I had no idea there were even such things out there!
I was so excited...there it was, an answer to my prayer sitting in my inbox! I prayed for guidance and direction, and literally, it was delivered electronically in less than 24 hours. Might not seem like a big deal, but for me, it was confirmation that even though it wasn't a huge issue, God was still listening and He was going to provide direction...and almost instantly at that!
Luke 11:9-10
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
See, I think we forget we serve a God of details...we trust in Him for the big stuff, but we don't want to bother Him with the small stuff. We can't fathom that He cares that deeply for us...but He does. He knows the number of hairs on our head...what could be more insignificant that THAT? But He knows that piece of trvia because He loves us and He's that intentional and that specific regarding His children. He's waiting for us to come to Him, be in relationship, and trust Him with the ALL our stuff.
So, how will your prayers get answered if you never ask? Try it...you just might be surprised.
JOY
Monday, April 11, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Excuse Me...Which Way to the Promised Land???
Maybe I've known this in the past and forgotten it, but as I was doing my Bible study, I was in Deuteronomy and read that the Israelites had wandered around aimlessly in the desert for 40 years before they were ready to enter the Promise Land...but the WHOLE TIME they were ELEVEN DAYS AWAY from their final destination. Do what??? Of course, when this was being revealed to the masses by Moses, all the original Israelites were dead except for three...so this was the next generation that was hearing all of this. I'm sure they had been walking around, dusty, hungry and grumbling for quite awhile though themselves...can you imagine realizing you had been that close to your destination the whole miserable time? Knowing me, I probably would have been a little ticked off upon hearing that news. Talk about taking a few wrong turns! As I was pondering this and reading about Moses reviewing to the masses all that has happened in those 40 years of history, I was thinking...it was so OBVIOUS to them God was in control and yet, they still were so stubborn. I mean, they had a cloud to lead them during the day, a fire over the tent of Meeting at night...as in a VISIBLE presence of God at pretty much all times. And to top it off, they had heard his audible voice during that whole "ten commandments" scene. Not a thought, or a feeling, but THE REAL McCOY VOICE OF GOD! And yet, they still sinned, they still grumbled, they still made false idols and danced around them...Stupid, head strong Israelites!
But wait...before we get all holier than thou...let's think about this a minute...
I have to admit, normally when I've read this part of Deuteronomy, what I wrote above was about what I felt about the situation. However, this time around, God opened my eyes to a whole new way of interpreting this. He used my life as a comparison (man, do I hate it when He does that!). I began to look back on my 35 years of life and see that I've been in the desert for quite some time. In fact, I've taken so many detours, I've gone against the will of God, I've made some serious mistakes, and I've exerted my free will time and time again. Sometimes even knowing that I was outside of God's will but justifying it anyways (beginning to sound familiar?). I see that all those detours and me "controlling" the situation was my very own wilderness that I was wandering around (I'm one of the smart ones though...I didn't have to wander for 40 whole years so I guess you can say I'm ahead of schedule!). And the whole stinkin' time...I was probably less than my very own "figurative" eleven days away from the Promise Land. God never left me. Nope, quite the opposite...He was there the entire time, convicting me, showing me His love, encouraging me, and being more patient than I ever could have deserved. At times, I would get back on track for a period and be headed the right direction...then I would derail again as in one-step forward and two-steps back sort of mentality.
Then I read the following verse:
Deuteronomy 2:7
For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
Yep, that's very true. Even though I was outside of the will of God many times, He continued to provide for me and bless me despite my very own stubborness. He's been more than patient and He's been waiting. And He knows every step of my journey. I didn't go hungry, I didn't lose my job, I didn't have a horrible life. Quite the opposite. Life was good. But you know, as I've been realizing in the past year, my life was NOT God's best for my life. He allowed me to get into a relationship that wasn't His best for my life because hey, I wasn't going to hear any different than what I wanted! He didn't want to see me hurt, but He knew that divorce was where it was going to head one day. But, all along, He was calling me to something different...HIS BEST for my life vs my best for my life. And I'm begin to come to the realization, that those two things are totally different, and I mean that in a very positive way. My focus was so superficial and so very small and it just didn't have the depth to go the distance. His focus and His plan, from what I know thus far, is so deep, I cannot even fathom it some days. It's mind boggling stuff that, to be honest, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it. But it's good...it's really good and it's full of joy, hope, and excitement!
So, as I read those passages and pondered them, I realized, that I'm approaching the Promised Land. I'm not inside yet, but I'm at the gates and I'm reflecting back on the past 35 years...the good, the bad and the ugly, just like Moses did with the Israelites. A gentle summary of where I've been to remind me to not make those same mistakes again this go-round. So, I feel I'm on the cusp of entering into my own Promised Land...and for all the pain, the anguish, and the tears of the past...THIS is what it is all about. I'm humbled and I'm ready to be used for the Kingdom and for His service. I'm fighting every day to keep Christ central in my life and let no other idols come before Him. I've been in the wilderness and it wasn't as much fun as I thought it was at the time, and really, I don't care to go back there. In fact, it was an illusion of happiness most of the time if I'm being honest. But for me, that 'wandering aimlessly in the desert' is what it took to transform my life and get me on my knees before my loving Heavenly Father who has been waiting for me to surrender all these years. So for that, I'm so very thankful for the wilderness. It made me strong and secure of my identity in Christ, and it got rid of the junk in my life that needed to be purged out.
I don't know about you...but I'm ready for the Promised Land. It's been a long, tiring journey to reach it, but the destination is sweet and full of promise in every sense of the word.
Thank God for THAT,
JOY
But wait...before we get all holier than thou...let's think about this a minute...
I have to admit, normally when I've read this part of Deuteronomy, what I wrote above was about what I felt about the situation. However, this time around, God opened my eyes to a whole new way of interpreting this. He used my life as a comparison (man, do I hate it when He does that!). I began to look back on my 35 years of life and see that I've been in the desert for quite some time. In fact, I've taken so many detours, I've gone against the will of God, I've made some serious mistakes, and I've exerted my free will time and time again. Sometimes even knowing that I was outside of God's will but justifying it anyways (beginning to sound familiar?). I see that all those detours and me "controlling" the situation was my very own wilderness that I was wandering around (I'm one of the smart ones though...I didn't have to wander for 40 whole years so I guess you can say I'm ahead of schedule!). And the whole stinkin' time...I was probably less than my very own "figurative" eleven days away from the Promise Land. God never left me. Nope, quite the opposite...He was there the entire time, convicting me, showing me His love, encouraging me, and being more patient than I ever could have deserved. At times, I would get back on track for a period and be headed the right direction...then I would derail again as in one-step forward and two-steps back sort of mentality.
Then I read the following verse:
Deuteronomy 2:7
For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.
Yep, that's very true. Even though I was outside of the will of God many times, He continued to provide for me and bless me despite my very own stubborness. He's been more than patient and He's been waiting. And He knows every step of my journey. I didn't go hungry, I didn't lose my job, I didn't have a horrible life. Quite the opposite. Life was good. But you know, as I've been realizing in the past year, my life was NOT God's best for my life. He allowed me to get into a relationship that wasn't His best for my life because hey, I wasn't going to hear any different than what I wanted! He didn't want to see me hurt, but He knew that divorce was where it was going to head one day. But, all along, He was calling me to something different...HIS BEST for my life vs my best for my life. And I'm begin to come to the realization, that those two things are totally different, and I mean that in a very positive way. My focus was so superficial and so very small and it just didn't have the depth to go the distance. His focus and His plan, from what I know thus far, is so deep, I cannot even fathom it some days. It's mind boggling stuff that, to be honest, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it. But it's good...it's really good and it's full of joy, hope, and excitement!
So, as I read those passages and pondered them, I realized, that I'm approaching the Promised Land. I'm not inside yet, but I'm at the gates and I'm reflecting back on the past 35 years...the good, the bad and the ugly, just like Moses did with the Israelites. A gentle summary of where I've been to remind me to not make those same mistakes again this go-round. So, I feel I'm on the cusp of entering into my own Promised Land...and for all the pain, the anguish, and the tears of the past...THIS is what it is all about. I'm humbled and I'm ready to be used for the Kingdom and for His service. I'm fighting every day to keep Christ central in my life and let no other idols come before Him. I've been in the wilderness and it wasn't as much fun as I thought it was at the time, and really, I don't care to go back there. In fact, it was an illusion of happiness most of the time if I'm being honest. But for me, that 'wandering aimlessly in the desert' is what it took to transform my life and get me on my knees before my loving Heavenly Father who has been waiting for me to surrender all these years. So for that, I'm so very thankful for the wilderness. It made me strong and secure of my identity in Christ, and it got rid of the junk in my life that needed to be purged out.
I don't know about you...but I'm ready for the Promised Land. It's been a long, tiring journey to reach it, but the destination is sweet and full of promise in every sense of the word.
Thank God for THAT,
JOY
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Glimpses of God
For me, often times the Lord will speak through song and shed light on a subject that I may be processing at the time. I find it interesting that I can hear a song over and over but then one day it can mean something totally different. That is such a God thing! I just love Addison Road and her song, "What Do I Know of Holy," has always been a favorite, but I heard it recently and it just took on a whole new meaning to me. I included a link for your listening pleasure...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6J5TzSE_18
It's a beautiful song, but the part that really got to me is the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6J5TzSE_18
It's a beautiful song, but the part that really got to me is the following:
I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were mighty to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees
That is some powerful stuff right there and I couldn't think of a better way to describe that feeling of reverence and awe for the Lord! I don't know about you that read this blog, but in my past, I honestly really felt I "got" God...as in I understood Him. How arrogant was that? At this point in my walk with God...I realize that I can't even begin to fathom who God really and truly is...my pea-sized brain just can't wrap around it all. As I struggled and went through trials and even now as His plan for my life is unfolding, I have begun to get a glimpse of Him...and it for sure has dropped me to my knees. He's so much more than I ever realized...He's indescribable, uncontainable, all powerful, untameable...He is utterly amazing (oops, I just channelled Chris Tomlin for a minute!). It's made me see that I gave myself way too much credit in the past for having life "all figured out" and for playing God of my only little universe. What do I know!?!
I think that's why this song cuts me to my core...it reminds me that God is more than I can ever understand or comprehend. And thank goodness for that! Would I really want to serve a God I could outsmart/outwit/and outplan? I think not.
JOY
Monday, March 28, 2011
The More I Know...the More I Am Humbled!
C.S. Lewis wrote the following:
Read that a few times and let it sink in. If you get it, then you're probably on the path to understanding how sinful of beings we really can be...thank goodness, however, for the infinite grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father!
In this season of my life, I am being bombarded with second chances, rebirth, redemption and just a fullness and rebirth of life that continues to amaze me, as well as others in my life. To think of where I was just one short year ago...well, no one can deny God's hand on my life that's for sure. But, when I read this quote in a book, it really expressed how I feel right now...humbled and very aware of where I have a lot of work yet to do in my life.
This weekend I had one of those moments...where something so good and joyous is happening...that it literally broke me down and made me cry in reflection. Opposite response expected, right? But after the moment, I felt so humbled and unworthy because of the restorative process that I can see God currently doing in my life. And it's because I understand all too well where I've messed up, missed the mark, controlled things in the past and been outside of God's will for my life that I feel this way...but because God loves me so much, He's given me a second chance despite my past mistakes. A do over of sorts. That's grace. That's mercy. And I don't feel I deserve it in any form or fashion, but I'm so very thankful for it all the same. I'm not saying I beat myself up every day over the past...I don't. But, I still have to live with the consequences of my actions in the past, even though I've repented and been forgiven, it doesn't mean I still wish I hadn't of made some of those choices. But yet, I see that I'm right where God wants me to be at this very moment. All of those life experiences have gotten me to this point...and maybe this point is where I was supposed to be all along (I just took a very long route with some detours to get here). Time will tell...but I constantly pray that I will empty my hands of any control and let God lead me to where He wants me to go.
I am so very blessed and I know God has poured favor all over my life...again, humbling. But at the same time, I'm so conscious of the mistakes I've made in the past, that at times, I almost feel paralyzed and afraid to do something because I'm afraid I will do it all wrong. I think it's because I don't want to screw up and repeat history...subconsciously, I'm very aware of my weaknesses and past mistakes. So, instead, I feel like doing nothing...that's not of God and that's me giving myself way to much credit that I can do everything right anyways! When I was having my quiet time this morning, this verse hit home and resonated with me in a new way:
It just reminded me that yes, I am weak, I do have flaws (sorry to disappoint you reading this but it's the truth and I am not perfect!), but yet, that's ok! Those flaws and those weaknesses can be perfected through Christ's transforming work He's doing through and to me...His grace and power are more than enough for me. Simply stated: I can't do it on my own...never could. And I realize another part of this is that I can take no credit for anything going on right now...God wants it to be evident to all that this is all by HIS hand...and not mine. So that feeling of being "frozen in fear" is for sure not of the Lord...it's the enemy's way of keeping me grounded and preventing me from taking that step of faith and grabbing on to something great that God has in store for me.
Many things I'm involved in right now are totally, 100% brand new to me...and that's scary, but at the same time exciting. I think some of the biggest, faith-filled miracles always have to have a little element of fear because let's face it...we ARE human! (case in point: David and Goliath, Moses and the exodus out of Egypt, Virgin Mary and the birth of Christ...you get the picture). Despite the fears we may have, the blessings will come from taking the leap of faith as God commands and expecting Him to show up in big ways. My head knows that...but sometimes when your heart is pounding, it's hard to remember those things! Once again, just so very thankful and humbled for God's grace and perfect timing...I would be lost without it!
Humbled,
JOY
"When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less."
In this season of my life, I am being bombarded with second chances, rebirth, redemption and just a fullness and rebirth of life that continues to amaze me, as well as others in my life. To think of where I was just one short year ago...well, no one can deny God's hand on my life that's for sure. But, when I read this quote in a book, it really expressed how I feel right now...humbled and very aware of where I have a lot of work yet to do in my life.
This weekend I had one of those moments...where something so good and joyous is happening...that it literally broke me down and made me cry in reflection. Opposite response expected, right? But after the moment, I felt so humbled and unworthy because of the restorative process that I can see God currently doing in my life. And it's because I understand all too well where I've messed up, missed the mark, controlled things in the past and been outside of God's will for my life that I feel this way...but because God loves me so much, He's given me a second chance despite my past mistakes. A do over of sorts. That's grace. That's mercy. And I don't feel I deserve it in any form or fashion, but I'm so very thankful for it all the same. I'm not saying I beat myself up every day over the past...I don't. But, I still have to live with the consequences of my actions in the past, even though I've repented and been forgiven, it doesn't mean I still wish I hadn't of made some of those choices. But yet, I see that I'm right where God wants me to be at this very moment. All of those life experiences have gotten me to this point...and maybe this point is where I was supposed to be all along (I just took a very long route with some detours to get here). Time will tell...but I constantly pray that I will empty my hands of any control and let God lead me to where He wants me to go.
I am so very blessed and I know God has poured favor all over my life...again, humbling. But at the same time, I'm so conscious of the mistakes I've made in the past, that at times, I almost feel paralyzed and afraid to do something because I'm afraid I will do it all wrong. I think it's because I don't want to screw up and repeat history...subconsciously, I'm very aware of my weaknesses and past mistakes. So, instead, I feel like doing nothing...that's not of God and that's me giving myself way to much credit that I can do everything right anyways! When I was having my quiet time this morning, this verse hit home and resonated with me in a new way:
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
It just reminded me that yes, I am weak, I do have flaws (sorry to disappoint you reading this but it's the truth and I am not perfect!), but yet, that's ok! Those flaws and those weaknesses can be perfected through Christ's transforming work He's doing through and to me...His grace and power are more than enough for me. Simply stated: I can't do it on my own...never could. And I realize another part of this is that I can take no credit for anything going on right now...God wants it to be evident to all that this is all by HIS hand...and not mine. So that feeling of being "frozen in fear" is for sure not of the Lord...it's the enemy's way of keeping me grounded and preventing me from taking that step of faith and grabbing on to something great that God has in store for me.
Many things I'm involved in right now are totally, 100% brand new to me...and that's scary, but at the same time exciting. I think some of the biggest, faith-filled miracles always have to have a little element of fear because let's face it...we ARE human! (case in point: David and Goliath, Moses and the exodus out of Egypt, Virgin Mary and the birth of Christ...you get the picture). Despite the fears we may have, the blessings will come from taking the leap of faith as God commands and expecting Him to show up in big ways. My head knows that...but sometimes when your heart is pounding, it's hard to remember those things! Once again, just so very thankful and humbled for God's grace and perfect timing...I would be lost without it!
Humbled,
JOY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)