Experience God

One of the things I do is to write out prayers.  I always date them and keep them in a journal.  I don't write prayers everyday, only when I feel prompted.  It is amazing to me to go back to those journals and read what I was talking to God about.  I find it incredible the ways in which I can see how He moved after the time has passed.  I was reading some prayers from late 2014 and I'm blown away by what God was saying at that time.  It is yet another way that God shows me his faithfulness to me. I realize this is a bit different than my usual Bible verse post, but consider writing prayers, especially if you feel prompted. It is a wonderful way to experience God in the moment and in the future.

His Mercy

Psalm 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too may to declare.

When I read this verse, my mind thought about how many things God does for us that we are clueless about.  How many wrecks are avoided? How many trips or falls are prevented? How many illnesses have been thwarted? We cannot possibly know all of the times God has stepped in to stop the broken world from beating us down. We cannot fathom the number of times or the many ways in which the Father shows His mercy in our daily lives. And yet, we have the audacity to grumble when we stub our toe or whine when someone is unkind. We complain when we are running late, but really that might have been the design of the Father to keep us from a car crash along the way. There are so many times I believe God has lifted me out of harm's way.  When things aren't quite going how I'd hoped, whether I'm running late or a conversation isn't what I'd hoped, I try to look at it with a Kingdom perspective. What if the bad news you received might have actually been the good news you were praying for? Oh, the wonders God does on our behalf!

A Hand To Hold

Isaiah 42:6-7 "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

This verse beautifully describes the relationship between God and us. God calls us and walks with us to fulfill His purpose. We are not left to do His will on our own or to find others to help us do His will. He makes the plans ahead of us and sets in motion all of the circumstances that will lead us to complete His purpose.  As we move into new situations, we must consider the fact that God has made His promise and will keep it.  He will be with us, even when things seem dark.  He will go ahead of us and prepare the way to give us the best possible outcome. This doesn't mean we will be without struggle, but we will always have His hand to hold. And once we accept His will for us and allow Him to work through us, we will impact others for the Kingdom.  I have said my story is not about me, my story is about God. I believe this is the truth for all of us.  Just as the Bible is filled with stories to show us who God is (not to show us the "superheros" of the faith), our lives are a reflection of who God is too. What does your story tell you about who God is?  What does it tell others?

All Things Are Possible

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

God's been sending me to read lots of encouraging scripture lately.  I haven't felt discouraged, but it is sure good to know God is looking out for my emotional well-being ahead of me. Anyway, Jesus makes this comment in reference to the disciples confusion as to how it was harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven than a poor man, in very basic terms. This always hurts my heart that the culture thought money helped you get to Heaven. I wonder what our cultural equivalent is.  We may not base our thoughts of God's favor on money anymore, but I think there is probably something.  It may be health, wellness, children, success, or even beauty among many other options.  The truth is, we all have the possibility to live life in Christ, if we so choose.  God does not play favorites. His love for each of us abounds equally.  That's hard for me to swallow at times.  I have worked my whole life to make good, solid decisions so that my life would go smoothly, but God loves me just as much as he loves the murderer in prison (even the one that hasn't repented).  That can be a hard pill to swallow. But if I live in this truth, treating others as if all things are possible with God, rather than all things are up to how I live my life, loving people comes much easier. When my life is not about me, it's much easier to love others.  Living life with a "God focus" and not a "me focus" changes everything.

Compassion and Mercy

James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Compassion and mercy, two words I don't know I would have thought to use in the context of Job's story. Yes, God restores Job in the end, but up to that point Job had a pretty rough go of it. So what can we learn from this verse as we think about compassion and mercy in the midst of Job's suffering. I believe God showed his compassion and mercy on Job in that He didn't let satan kill him. That's a basic step and, frankly, not a very great picker-upper if you're Job, "Well, at least you're not dead." Job might have rather been dead at moments.  So, where is the Lord's compassion and mercy? God, as Job's father, felt all of the pain and anguish Job was experiencing because He was with Job through all of it. God knew Job's heart, He knew his pain and sorrow and was right there in it with him.  God knew what was coming on the other end of the journey, the relationship He and Job were going to have, which was forged out of God's love for Job and Job's love for God through all of the muck. Yes, the Lord shows His mercy and compassion for Job when He restores him, but He walked every step with him on the way to restoration too. We get to experience the same compassion and mercy when we ask Jesus to walk with us through our restoration.

"Heartset" vs. Mindset

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

This verse just hit me today.  I've done a lot of Bible reading today and this was the scripture that resonated deeply. There is fruit of the Spirit listed with each of these items, joy, patience, faithfulness. One can only live life fully and follow Paul's words with the Holy Spirit at work in the heart.  We have to have a heart set on these things which is done by the Holy Spirit. Oh, I can set my mind on those things, but, unfortunately, that will have no impact on my heart and it probably isn't attainable in every situation.  So much depends on circumstance when I try to have a mindset of the Fruit of the Spirit.  The truth is, my mind does not change my heart anyway.  However, my heart change will change my mind. So, to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer takes a heart that desires these things over all others, a heart that is set on Jesus over all others, a heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit. Then my mind will believe what my heart knows. When my "heartset" is of the Fruit of the Spirit, no circumstance will shake my joy. my patience will not be tried, and prayer will become a faithful occurrence. That is what living in the power of the Spirit does!

Not on Sunday

This time around I will not be posting anything on Sundays. In the past I have always done a quick prayer, but at this point I feel like a true day of rest is a better idea. Make your Sunday a day of things you love to do with people you love. Blessings!

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

I'm finding it fascinating and comforting how God is leading me to verses about faith and hope these days.  It is very appropriate. Being in the midst change and seeking the will of God is a trail of ups and downs. There are days where I'm simply distracted from what's going on and oblivious to the fact that God is working out the details. And yet, there are moments when it is brought right to the forefront of my thinking because it is so obvious that God is working out the details. The back and forth of needing information and feeling at peace about knowing nothing is something I wrestle with at times. Recently, God has placed into my spirit a peace that is not my own so that even when I want to know something, I am calm in with walking in faith and not knowing anything.  This is not of my own will as I am incredibly impatient on the whole. Faith is being assured in God's love for me and waiting with expectancy for His will and timing in my life.

God's Plan

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to proser you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

This verse is one that continually comes back to me. This is God letting His exiled people know that He is working on their behalf while they are away from home.  He is telling them to take heart and live a life of seeking the Lord.  That is my current mission, to seek God. I am in transition and the only thing I know for sure is that the Lord is working on my behalf. When I begin to worry, I think on Jesus. When I begin to question, I quiet my mind and think on Jesus. When I try to plan for what's next, I think back on the events that have led to this moment and remember God's faithfulness. My focus for the past few months has been on God and His plan. His plan is very unclear to me, at this time, but I lean on verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and let Jesus hold me in my moments of weakness.  For when I am weak, He is strong, and I am experiencing that at a new depth.  Seek Him and you will find Him. Truth.

Who's In Control?

Psalm 75:2 You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly."

Timing is everything. This is something I am learning in a new way. I am waiting on God's timing, taking action when He moves me and being still when He tells me.  Being still is the harder of the two for me.  I am a woman of action.  I like to get things done.  I like to wield my hand and use the skills and talents I have to accomplish great things. This is a time in my life where God has been very clear that I need to be still.  He has set me in a situation where He is about to show His ability, His skills and talents, so to speak.  I have been instructed to be still so that God can do what only God can do. Whatever is next on my journey will not have anything to do with me, my skills, or my talents, that much I know. God is doing something that only He can do, to humble me and show me that I often lean on my own strength and my own abilities. The problem is that I thought I was always good about giving God the glory, but in my heart I was controlling much of what happened on my own. Now God is moving in order to receive the glory that is His due and I could not be more excited about that.  I am not even close to being in control of what God is up to nor do I have a clue what He is doing.  He just gives me little glimpses here and there to keep my soul at peace and my hope alive.  In His time, He will reveal what's next and it will be of Him and not me.  I love that story!

Jesus' Heart

Luke 14:2 There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy.

At first, I focused on the fact that Jesus shows compassion on this man in the next verses and heals him. But then, I realized, He was at a Pharisee's home and what was this man doing there? The Pharisee was obviously trying to catch Jesus in performing a "thou shalt not" because I don't recall Pharisees hanging out with sick people.  The best part of this whole interaction is that Jesus reveals His heart and the hearts of the Pharisees. Jesus' heart is to love people and care for them. That, I would have thought, was the Pharisees purpose as well, to love people and care for them. And yet, they were so focused on the "Thou Shalt" and "Thou Shalt Not" that their hearts were completely lost. Oh, but we are not any better than the Pharisees. We find ourselves looking at our list of dos and don'ts and try to keep as many as we can. I believe Jesus looks at us in these moments and the verse then reads, "There in front of him was Abbie suffering from the sin condition." Jesus looks on me with compassion and offers his healing sacrifice and His transformational grace. He offers me His death as my own and gifts me the Holy Spirit to change my heart. The list of dos and don'ts becomes a thing of the past, and I can live with freedom in Christ. My heart can only love people and care for them, as I have been loved and cared for; no more focusing on their dos and don'ts.

We Are Never Lost

John 3:16 God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

I was prompted to use this verse, but with a version I had not read before. It's interesting how different translations bring a whole new thought to mind as you connect the known to the new.  The word lost is the one that caught my eye today. I have felt a little lost at times this year, not knowing what is coming next. In those moments, I have turned to Jesus and told Him my worries, my struggles, my hopes, and my dreams. I think it all comes back to Mom's statement of, "Jesus knows what to do".  He really does. He is my rock. He is the one who understands exactly how I feel at each moment.  I do not feel lost when I am in His presence.  I feel heard and loved. I feel understood. Knowing what Jesus went through to save the world from sin, to save me from my sin, reminds me that my struggle and my uncertainty was/is His too.  That is the beauty of having a risen Christ. He goes with me so I am never lost, even when the way is uncertain...Jesus knows what to do.

A Spirit of Hope

Zephaniah 3:12 But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the Lord.

What does it feel like to have God refine your heart in a way that leaves the meek and humble? Refinement is not comfortable; it is not easy. Being refined requires specific grace from God that sees, with the heart, all that God intended you to be from the very beginning, which enables you to walk in peace with a spirit of hope.  In refinement we are able to build our trust in His name because we experience God's faithfulness.  Hardships draw us near, and His love can get soul deep where we have true need of the Savior.  Then we experience the faithfulness of our loving God. Being refined is what brings Heaven to us on earth. We are joined by Jesus and transformed by the Spirit through the faithfulness of God. We are loved, and there can be no question of that.  I'm trusting in the strong name of Jesus, at this very moment, that He is working on my behalf, because I am experiencing His work in, around, and through me. I pray He leaves within me the meek and humble as I move forward on this journey with Jesus.

At It Again

Well all, I think I'm going to start posting again.  My life journey is taking an interesting turn and I'm finding I need this writing thing.  God and I have had lots of conversations already this year and I'm lamenting the fact that I haven't been writing about it all.  It's amazing how God moves and His timing is unbelievable.  Be watching for the posts to begin! I'm thinking it will be the Monday after Easter. After all, the resurrection wasn't the end, it was a beautiful beginning!