You Are Worth It

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

How often we forget our worth. God loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son as a living sacrifice, to bear all of our sins, and die for us. God turned His face away from the Son, forsake Him, left Him completely alone under the weight of our transgressions (See John 3:16)…

What a love our Lord Almighty has for us. We are so blessed to have life to live. But we have trials and attacks on our hope in this world. Satan is looking for an opportunity to take you out at the knees so that you can’t follow Jesus the way He intended you too. The devil is out to keep you from glorifying God and we must prepare for battle daily (see Ephesians 6:10-18).

Why is any of this relevant to the verse above? Tell me you know that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that you feel that way all the time. It is unlikely. We struggle with insecurities and spiritual attacks that keep us from believing that God loves us and values us. We are His children and He made us how we are, in His image (See Genesis 1:27). We have to believe the verse above after all He has done for us. Yet still we struggle… It is a daily battle for me as well. I had a friend that once told me that every time we think negatively about ourselves, we are putting Jesus back on the cross. That really put it in perspective for me. Now I am able to crash my self-pity parties pretty quickly, because I know the Word is the truth.

So don’t forget Who made you, and what He has done for you. You are more precious than rubies (See Proverbs 3:15, Proverbs 8:11)

Who are you to say God made a mistake when He made you? All we can to is just try to walk closer to Him every day. No person, place, or thing, is comparable to the love of Christ. Same goes for determining your worth. No one besides God can tell you your worth and value. The devil is alive and will try to tell you otherwise, but cling to the truth.

Lord God, I come before you, asking that you remind me that You are the only one who can say what I am worth. I ask that you continue to grow me up in your Word so that I may stand against the devil and his attempts to tell me otherwise. I pray that my mind and heart are protected by your love and strength. I pray that You help me to discern what is designed to take me out so that I may avoid it. I pray You direct my steps and help me walk boldly for You. I love you Lord, and I love it when You tell me I am fearfully and wonderfully made. In Jesus sweet and powerful name I pray, Amen.  

Let It Go

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:9 (NIV)

You know that feeling you get when you are praying… and it is like you knew you had to pray those specific words?

I had that feeling this morning. I kneeled in my closet and begged God to forgive me, to comfort me, to love on me, to help me do His will.

That’s the thing… I knew that was the whole point of what I was going through. To bring me to my knees, and ask God for help. He already knew I was coming to Him about it, He even knew the words that were going to come out of my mouth. My patient Father… waiting expectantly for me. This was the first time I had gone to Him before my earthly father about such matters… especially matters of the heart…

Ever since I started praying God’s will, the Spirit has spoken to me about it not always being rainbows and roses. This is where my maturity really has grown…

When I pray for things, now I pray for them and end with, “If it is Your will Lord”. That is something I just recently learned. After finding out the hard way that I don’t always pray for what I need, I pray selfishly sometimes. This helps prevent me from some unnecessary missteps.

I see that His will is sometimes hard to get through. It is best, but not always easy. It is what we need, but not necessarily what I want. But it shapes me and matures me, I grow each time.

I also started praying to be used by God. This was also a misconception I had before the Spirit spoke to my heart on this. I will be used by God, I need to submit to Him and admit I need Him in order for me to be used for His works while I am here on the earth.

When I first started praying this I noticed that I was being used by God, but not in the narrow-minded and limited thinking way that I had expected. He uses me for others, sometimes for their hard lessons. Sometimes I experience rejection and judgement because of the things I am supposed to say to people. The way I am used is not always painless. I have a soft heart. If I speak something to someone for the Lord and they reject me, stop talking to me, or end a relationship because of it, I have to be comforted knowing God will work on that individual, that I did my job, and I have to trust the God knows what He is doing.

This is how limited my thinking was. I believed every relationship, including friendships, were a start to finish deal. Meaning, if I started the relationship, the end of its purpose would be a scheduled matter. They might move away, we might have families now, we may have drifted off with communication and only talk a few times a month… These relationships are God designed, these soul meetings that have purpose, but they aren’t planned by us, we just kind of have to ask God what we are to do in them. They don’t always ride out how we thought they would, or close up nice like the end of a movie. We literally are sometimes just supposed to be a glimpse of God in their lives that they may recall years later and see your purpose or the relationship’s purpose in their life.

We might be a fleeting memory, we might meet them again later down the road. Ultimately, relationships are important in God’s work, but they are not planned by us. We have to be open to the Spirit’s guiding.

I recently had to let go of a friend that I didn’t want to let go of. God demanded it and I didn’t listen and follow His guidance willingly, so I made it more painful and drew it out longer than necessary. I don’t like to let go. But I have to let go and let God. He literally tells me what I have to do, yet I still hold on, making it harder for Him to do His work. He really does much better work and He has all the resources in the Universe. Why do I try to resist?

Abba, Lord my God… I am broken, my Prince of Peace. I am disappointed that I constantly let you down. Please Lord, whatever I am holding on to that I need to give to You, please take it from me! I desire Your Will Lord. It is You I am here for, not myself. I know that You love the brokenhearted Lord. I want to be a vessel for Your light to shine through. Please break me for Your will Lord, and comfort me through the hard parts. Keep me encouraged Lord. I know that what hurts now is out of love and for my good, even though it does not seem like it in this moment. Lord, remove my doubt, help me to trust You, and Your plan, because you have so many great things in store for me that I cannot even imagine. In Jesus’ sweet and Holy name I pray, Amen.   

Check out this poem my Titus 2 Mentor told me about, 

“Broken Dreams”: http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/27113.html

Remember Why You Are Here

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV- “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

So, we get caught up in life… I get it. It happens to all of us. We really find ourselves lost in the desert sometimes… caught up in work, school, chores… What are we really here for?

This life is temporary… which is why it is important to remember what we are here for… Who we are here for… What we are here to do…

Colossians 3:2- “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Paul reminds the church that we need to have an “eternal” perspective on life. We need to make sure we remind ourselves daily of our higher calling.

So when you find yourself wrapped up in life, remember to stop and pull back and observe your situation.

Katie my roommate brought up a great point the other day. She asked, “What have you been doing as a Christian?”

This was a tough question for me to answer. I wanted to say, “I attend church, life group, and I study the bible… Isn’t that enough?”

But the more I thought about it, I truly began to realize what she was asking. What am I doing in my community? What am I doing for my neighbors to love on them? What am I doing to reach others and create disciples? These were the type of questions I needed to ask myself.

I am here for Him, not for myself. It is important I spend my time with Him and grow in a personal relationship with Him; but I need to remember why I am here. I am here to serve. He died so I could live. I want to be a vessel; I want Him to use me. I have to be available for Him to do that.

Lord, I ask that you help me be more aware of my temporary time on earth and more focused on my eternal calling. Please help me to push myself out of the way so there can be more of You shining through me. Help me to remember I am here for you, to serve. Help me be more like Jesus and follow His example. Thank you Lord for the opportunities I am given daily to serve You and fulfill Your calling on my life. In Jesus’ precious and sweet name I pray… Amen.

Don't Expect, Just Look

A normal and boring day right? Nothing special about it… Can’t wait for it to be over!

Well, if you are so busy waiting for it to be over, you may miss opportunities that God gives you as you go through your day.

We get so goal oriented sometimes that we forget to pay attention to what God is doing in the moment. We start to see things as the world sees them. Normal… Bland… Boring…

But life and our daily walk contains so much beauty… it just often goes unnoticed.

Ever heard the saying, “Take time to stop and smell the roses”? Well, do that! It doesn’t have to be roses… Any flower will do. But we often are no Spirit led. If we are Spirit led, we are more likely to see the beauty in our day to day lives.

My favorite verse for remembering this is Proverbs 2:3-6.

Proverbs 2:3-6

New International Version (NIV)

³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

If we look for God’s hand in our day, we will find He will be there. His hand is in everything. I have had some days that I feel were made just for me. The whole day carried on as if I was being cared for and looked after every moment. The days I need encouragement I find it. How we see His hand is beyond our understanding and we need to be sure not to place expectations and limitations on our God. If I need something or want something I don’t have an expectation in my mind much anymore. I just keep my mind and heart open to receiving what I need or want in anyway and at anytime the Lord provides. He always provides… Just not always in the way I expect. Which is why I have tried to stop expecting. Expecting is not trusting God to know what is best for you. So I encourage you to stop expecting things and just start asking for them. Our minds are so limited… God doesn’t play by our rules and expectations… He knows what is best for us. 

The Fall; Daily Decision Making

Genesis 3:1-13- “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LordGod among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

¹³ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

That is all it took…

One decision and mankind fell… Hard. No one was to blame besides mankind. However, as humans, we naturally want to place blame or give reasoning to our disobedience. That is our flesh. That is why it is so important to be Spirit led.

The serpent is still alive today. He whispers things in our ears and tells us lies. He says, “It will be ok this one time… It won’t be found out… They didn’t really mean that when they said that… You deserve it, which is why they don’t want you to have it…”

The woman Eve was quick to cry out as a victim! “The serpent deceived me…” Yes Eve that was the case, but you my dear… you made the decision to believe the lies. You made the decision to eat the fruit… Surely the serpent wasn’t holding a gun to Eve’s head, forcing her to eat from the tree she was clearly told to avoid. (I don’t even know how a snake would hold a gun… Guns weren’t even made yet… That is beside the point). I would even consider being more sympathetic if the serpent had been coiled around her neck, threatening her life. But the serpent was not.

Adam played victim too. He blamed Eve. “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Yes Adam, she did give you the fruit. She didn’t force feed it to you though…

The serpent’s whispers come in many forms… Peer pressure, guilt, shame, negative experiences, past mistakes… The serpent tells you lies to keep you on the ground, on your belly, like him… If you decide to believe the lies.

Everything in life is a decision. You can change your life with one decision… Mankind fell because of one decision. So quick, just like the blink of an eye, a decision is made. A world is changed. An innocence is lost… A person is hurt… a marriage is broken… In a split second, the devil gets a foothold…

Thankfully we serve a forgiving, merciful, and patient God. Many times we fall into Satan’s traps, set up to drag us down. That is why it is so important for us to defend against his schemes. As my friend Jason tells me, “We wake up saved, but we don’t wake up walking in the Spirit”; so true. That is why we need to spend time with God first thing and all throughout our day. This prepares us and equips us spiritually to defend ourselves against a fallen and broken world, full of temptation.

Be mindful of the two things that help me get through the day;

Before making a decision, say a quick prayer and ask yourself, “Would this be something Jesus would do… Does this please God?”

And treat everyone as if they were Jesus.

This does not usually come naturally because of our flesh, however if you practice and make it a habit, it really helps your days go smoother and protects you from Satan’s games and tricks.

Remember… Our heavenly Father loves us and wants what is best for us. Fix your eyes on Him. 

[ The Armor of God ] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:10-11 NIV

Obey (Part Four)

Fourth thing to remember when it comes to obedience in the Lord…

4) Know discipline comes out of love…

The Lord is our Father, which means He has authority over our lives. I would be worried if he didn’t discipline me when I needed it. I know He cares for me enough to spend time working on me, carving me into the woman He wants me to be to be used for His great works.

Deuteronomy 33:3- “Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction,” (CEV)

God teaches us through discipline for our own good. We may not understand why at the time of occurrence, but trust Him, knowing He has your best interests in mind.

Nehemiah 1:5- “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,”

Proverbs 3:11-12- “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” (CEV)

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (CEV)

Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (CEV)

Hebrews 12:11- “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (CEV)

If you aren’t being corrected and convicted by the Holy Spirit, you should check your relationship with the Lord. I would be worried… Sometimes you are genuinely in a season of blessing and you need minimal correction. If you are committed, you will be convicted.

Hebrews 12:6- “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (CEV)

2 Thessalonians 2:16- “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,”

1 John 4:8- “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (CEV)

God disciplines us because we are His children and He loves us. 

Obey (Part Three)

The third thing to remember in order to be obedient is…

3) Follow Jesus

What better leader to follow in perfect obedience than the only one, Jesus Christ, who was perfect and obeyed in every way? There is no other way besides Jesus. Follow Him and His example of perfect obedience…

His example is what we need to focus on; what we should strive to be.

Nehemiah 1:5- “Then I said: ‘Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,’” (CEV)

Colossians 3:12- “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, and humility, gentleness and patience. (CEV)

Matthew 16:24- “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (CEV)

Matthew 19:28- “Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (CEV)

Matthew 26:39- “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (CEV)

Luke 9:23- “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (CEV)

John 1:10- “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.”

John 3:16- “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (CEV)

John 14:6- “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (CEV)

Following Jesus does not always mean we will be trailing behind Him on a beaten path. It means we step out on the water with Him, placing our feet were there is no visible support for our weight, but placing our foot down anyway, one in front of the other, trusting the Lord will bring provision there to carry us over the seemingly impossible. Walking with Him, towards Him, for Him… Knowing He has you and the provision is there even though you may not see it. That is following Jesus, and that is trusting God. Step out in faith to follow Jesus…

John 20:31- “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (CEV)

Acts 4:10-12- “then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (CEV)

Jesus is the only way to salvation, follow Him there…

Hebrews 3:6- “But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” (CEV)

1 John 5:1- “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.” (CEV)  

Obey (Part Two)

Second thing to remember when working on obedience to the Lord;

2) Know the Word

The Bible is our guide book to Christian Living and how we communicate with God. It is crucial to know the Word. How do you obey the rules if you don’t know the rules or guidelines?

Deuteronomy 4:5-8- “No other nation has laws that are as fair as the ones the Lord my God told me to give you. If you faithfully obey them when you enter the land, you will show other nations how wise you are. In fact, everyone that hears about your laws will say, ‘That great nation certainly is wise!’ And what makes us greater than other nations? We have a God who is close to us and answers our prayers.” (CEV)

Psalm 19:7- “The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people.” (CEV)

There is no error in God’s Word. It is perfect and Holy; creating a stable foundation for us to stand on.

Psalm 119:89- “Our Lord, you are eternal! Your word will last as long as the heavens.” (CEV)

His Word does not expire. It was, is, and always will be; just as He is.

Ecclesiastes 8:4- “The king’s word is law. No one can ask him, “Why are you doing this?” (CEV)

The Word is law, which is why it is so important for us to know! Ignorance is bliss, but we need to know what the law is to better live a life pleasing to the Lord. If you moved to a new town, would you not want to be aware of the law there so you could be a good citizen?

Proverbs 30:5-6- “Everything God says is true- and it’s a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don’t Change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar.” (CEV)

God does not lie. The Word is from God, therefore it is the truth.

Isaiah 55:9- “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.” (CEV)

We are humans. We are not meant to understand or comprehend everything God has or says for us at any given moment. That is where trusting God comes in. Know He has your best interest at heart and that there is a reason He is God and we are not!

John 1:1-3- “In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God . From the very beginning the word was with God. And with this Word God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created”(CEV)

John 8:47- “Anyone who belongs to God will listen to his message. But you refuse to listen, because you don’t belong to God.”(CEV)

If you call yourself a Christian, you have to believe the Bible is the truth. You can’t pick and choose what you want to follow out of it. Partial obedience is just as bad as disobedience. Rebellion is purpose driven disobedience.

John 17:17- “Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours.”(CEV)

Accepting God’s Word as truth is necessary as a child of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-17- “Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.”(CEV)

Hebrews 4:12- “What God has said isn’t only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and sounds and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” (CEV)

The Bible is practical. Do not doubt that it can be used for all current day living and situations! It is living and breathing, God uses it to speak to us despite its aged content. The Word is our guide for living and holds us to God.

Revelation 22:18-19- “Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book: If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book.”(CEV)

The Bible shall not be tampered with. Please see link below for an amazing explanation of common questions about the Bible. My friend shared this with me and I found it useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1XJ7DeR5fc

Obey (Part One)

There are four steps I use to help me keep on track when it comes to obedience to the Lord;

The first one is…

1)      Know who is boss

Genesis 1:1- “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (CEV)

Genesis 2:7- “The Lord God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.” (CEV)

I remember sassing my Mom as a child. I would rebel. My Mother would remind me who was in charge by telling me that she had brought me into this world and could take me out of it as well. I decided that these were acceptable terms for her qualifying as my “boss”. It is the same thing with God. He has the power, He created everything, and therefore He is Lord of all.

Leviticus 25:55- “People of Israel, I am the Lord your God, and I brought you out of Egypt to be my own servants” (CEV)

We have to remember why we are here and what the Lord has done for us. We are not here for ourselves; we are here for Him as His servants. Just as Jesus did not come here for Himself, we are not here for our own purposes, but for His.

Deuteronomy 3:24- “Our Lord, it seems that you have just begun to show me your great power. No other god in the sky or on earth is able to do the mighty things that you do.” (CEV)

Deuteronomy 4:1- “Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them, you will live, and you will go in and take the land that the Lord is giving you. He is the God your ancestors worshiped,” (CEV)

Deuteronomy 4:35-36- “The Lord wants you to know he is the only true God, and he wants you to obey to obey him. That’s why he let you see his mighty miracles and his fierce fire on earth, and why you heard his voice from that fire from the sky.” (CEV)

Deuteronomy 7:9- “You know that the Lord your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.” (CEV)

2 Kings 17:13- “So the Lord made sure that every prophet warned Israel and Judah with these words: “I, the Lord, command you to stop doing sinful things and start obeying my laws and teachings! I gave them to your ancestors, and I told my servants the prophets to repeat them to you .” (CEV) 

“The king’s word is law. No one can ask him, “Why are you doing this?” (CEV) 

I remember my Mom telling me to do something and I would ask her reasoning (because I had every right to question her, right?) and she would say “because I said so”. I had accepted that as a form of reason.

Hebrews 3:6- “But Christ is the Son in charge of God’s people. And we are those people, if we keep on being brave and don’t lose hope.”

The Lord created everything; therefore He is boss of it all. This is a step towards obedience…

Waiting on the Lord

Patience… Have patience they say. But I want it now!

We humans are prone to be demanding and ungrateful. We pound our fists and kick our feet when the Father does not give us what we want. We are spiritual toddlers. Unlike the spiritual infant, we can now walk, talk, and throw tantrums. We fall down often and run into things, but ultimately we need to master our bratty behavior.

Attitude adjustment needed. Mindset needs to change.

Our flesh is impulsive and needy. We often forget that the Lord tells us several things that we should use to calm and remind ourselves of His love when we are feeling “bratty”;

Isaiah 40:11- “The Lord cares for his nation, just as shepherds care for their flocks. He carries the lambs in his arms, while gently leading the mother sheep.”

Our Father cares for us- Whether you are young or old, man or woman, spiritual infant or wise disciple. No matter what, the Lord cares for you. He even carries the lambs in His arms! If you can’t walk it out, He will carry you! What a loving and merciful God we serve that He would show us this kind of unconditional love no matter what. This verse alone calms my spiritual temper tantrum quickly.

Deuteronomy 8:7- “The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land with streams that flow from springs in the valleys and hills”.

He is bringing us into His goodness- Remember that this verse shows us we may not be aware of the blessings we are being led to. It seems like we have been waiting forever for things to “happen” for us. We want that job we have been waiting for, or the house we have been dreaming of. Right here where we are at just does not seem as appealing as where we want to go! But we can’t teleport from one position to another in life and satisfy our impulsive nature. We have to journey with the Lord. This develops character and prepares us for the blessings He has for us. He will always have perfect timing.

Ecclesiastes 8:6- “Life is hard, but there is a time and place for everything,”

This is so true… Life is hard. It could be worse. There is always a person out there who has it harder than you do. When we want to throw a fit… think to yourself… “Could this be worse?” Then try to find one positive thing that may have happened because of it. God knows what he is doing. I mean… He is God. His timing is perfect. Understand that He loves you and knows what is best for you; because you really don’t know what is best for yourself. You might know what is good, but God knows what is best.

Isaiah 55:9- “Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.”

He understands and knows why- That means TRUST HIM. He is always working things out for our good, behind the scenes or in front of our faces. We may not always understand why things are happening the way they are, or why they are taking sooooooooo long… But what is important is that we know the Lord loves us and wants good things for us. So this is where the trusting Him part comes in. Yes… He knows you wanted it yesterday… That thing you have been praying for. He has heard your cries, caught your tears, felt your frustration… He knows about it! He knows everything! So rest assured in the Lord, knowing He has you covered and we don’t have a mind capable of understanding his ways or thoughts. Just accept it. It is way easier than trying to know all (which we can’t even do). Patience my friend!

Hopefully these verses help you through the next tough waiting period you experience. Waiting on the Lord may seem long suffering, but I promise you that is what develops our faith! God is so good and what He has planned for you is so much better than anything you could dream up on your own! Rest assured he has your back and is coordinating things behind the scenes. Before you get mad, meditate on these verses and ask the Lord to comfort you as you wait in contentment.

Have your ear open to listen to His voice when He tells you it is time to move.

It is important to realize there is a difference between waiting on the Lord and being lazy.

He will provide you everything you need for the journey and tell you where to go.

Your heart has to be open, ready to listen to His instruction.

Get ready to move your feet on the walk with Jesus. 

Joy

“The Joy of the Lord is my strength…” (Nehemiah 8:10)

This verse came to mind the other day when I was feeling defeated. I feel defeated by life and people on certain days; good thing God’s strength is perfected in my weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). Why can’t I be like Paul and boast about my weaknesses (2 Corinthians 11:30) to be glad that the Lord will work in them!

Any who… after this verse came to mind, I meditated on it hard. The Lord used it to turn my work day back around. I was going to be joyful no matter what. How many times can you knock me down Satan, and how many times do I have to get back up with a smile on my face for you to leave me alone? The JOY of the Lord, from the Holy Spirit, overcomes every other feeling I might be having and overwhelms my soul with love. This is how I battle it out; an arsenal of verses that proclaim where I find my joy; which is the same thing to me as finding my strength.

Where do I find my joy? THE LORD. He is everything that I need to get through the day. He is MY ALL, THE GREAT I AM. I find my joy in Him because He is the only way to experience “lasting joy” instead of “fleeting happiness”.

Yes it is hard to differentiate between the two; joy and happiness. I honestly get very frustrated when people say, “If this would just happen (fill in the blank) or if I had this (fill in the blank), I would be happy or find my JOY”. Silly gooses; you already have Joy if you ask the Lord for it and find it in Him.

The fruit of the Spirit; JOY. Such a deep, wonderful and rich feeling; one that once it is experienced, you will laugh at the fact that you wanted to be merely “happy” before. You will find that if you search for Joy in anything but the Lord, you will be sorely disappointed. Life is designed that way. Imagine God watching from above as you frantically run from place to place, object to object, searching feverishly for this perfect Joy you seek. Meanwhile, God looks down and with a stern voice says, “I AM RIGHT HERE, I will let you keep looking as long as you like; but you will eventually understand it can only be found in ME and I have been readily available to you this WHOLE TIME”.

We also see that in Jeremiah 15:16, a thankful heart is a joyful heart. If we wake up with an “attitude of gratitude” (forgot where I heard that from, I totally am not taking credit for that), we will see our days playing out much smoother and the beautiful things in life we appreciate and are grateful to have will show us the true Joy the Lord has for us, His beloved children.

An important verse to pick apart on the topic of Joy is John 15:9-11:

9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Note that the reference to the Father’s love (God is love) an His JOY are what fills our JOY. Remember that the only true Joy can be experienced through the Father and because of the Father. Searching for it elsewhere could lead us off course, even to idolatry; especially when we cannot differentiate between Joy and Happiness. When you have His Joy, Jesus can shine through you to others.

Dictionary.com defines happiness as;

Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

This could lead us to believe that the Lord’s Joy is interchangeable or comparable with the word “happiness”.

Believe me, from experience, once you experience the Lord’s Joy, your mind will be blown. What you thought you knew of joy and happiness will become differentiated and your understanding will become perfected through His Word.  

Dictionary.com defines joy as;

The emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation:

She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.

2.

a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated:

Her prose style is a pure joy.

3.

the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.

4.

a state of happiness or felicity.

This also would lead someone to believe that Joy from the Lord and Happiness are interchangeable and comparable. I promise you that once you experience the true Joy of the Holy Spirit and realize that happiness is situational and Joy is rooted deep within you, you will understand the difference. 

No one can take the Lord's Joy from you. Don't let Satan lie to you. 

Gifts

God is good, life is good. I believe that the top three gifts I have received from the Holy Spirit are; Mercy, Exhortation, and Prophecy.

I have been told I am unusually forgiving. Many times I feel like I am fighting a dual mind when I want to be mad about something but somewhere deep inside me, I know I need to forgive and I feel better when I do. It physically drains me to hold a grudge, and to be honest, I don’t know how some people do it.

I believe I have exhortation as well. I have always felt an overwhelming sense of other’s and their feelings. If someone I love is sad, I feel like I take on some of the sadness or try very hard to help any way I can. I acknowledge that I do know “know” how they feel because I am not in their exact situation, but I do say “I feel for you” or “I wish I could understand”.

I believe that prophecy is something that I had previously misunderstood. It doesn’t necessarily mean telling the future, but I can see how things could play out depending on decisions I make or others actions. Often I find myself day dreaming (don’t we all sometimes do that?) but I have had moments where I didn’t realize what I was thinking or doing was prophesying. I tick a lot of people off because when I give advice, it sounds like I am telling them what to do. Honestly I think I can see how things will play out and I feel compelled to tell them which path to choose and what will happen if they don’t choose that path.

This one is a tough one to develop, and I have to work very hard on being humble and making sure that I am doing the right thing so that I can stand on the truth and not look like a bumbling hypocrite.

I have to be very aware of what I do and say, which I wasn’t before. I feel like I am gaining wisdom, and in that I am developing my spiritual gifts. God has given me gifts and the resources, now I am at the point where I am trying to develop my gifts as well as know how to use them to the best of my ability and ask God what resources I have and how to use them.

This gift is also tough because if I call something correctly, I want to say “SEE, I TOLD YOU!” or I will tell someone their nature and they do not want to hear it because they are in denial. Defensiveness is usually proof that the Holy Spirit has convicted them of this flaw, and they have already been talked to about it before from God (Thanks to my friend who explained this).

I am also finding that God uses the word to speak to me, as he has before, but very interesting that I am able to get very specific messages that apply to my day and life in the moment. Recently I have been in Proverbs and He has given me a message every day; good advice to heed.

Proverbs 15: Stay strong amidst the confusion and chaos, despite the gossip, keep my mouth shut and think before speaking.

Proverbs 16: Tell the Lord what you plan on doing, don’t worry about what others say, God will deal with them. Please the Lord first and foremost, and you will find favor with the right people. Just worry about keeping your boss pleased with you and your work, At this point, don’t worry about money, you should concentrate on being wise and sensible. Be cautious and stay away from those who do evil things, but DO NOT gossip about them. Speak well of all, and don’t lose your temper. We have free will but it had to be God’s choice. Everything is either God allowed or God decided. 

WORD

It has been too long since I last wrote… Since then, I have quit smoking. Thanks be to God for my roommate Katie. She held my cigarettes hostage for a week and I quit on New Year’s Eve.

I had my little sister, (who isn’t really my little sister) over for the weekend. She is sixteen. She revealed to me that she had been allowed to smoke sometimes when she was stressed out.

My greatest fear; she is only sixteen! I have known her and her older sister and mother for several years. When I first met the sisters, they were young, impressionable, and innocent. I tried to mentor or set a good example for them both. I did not spend much time with them over the past year.

Since then, the eighteen year old has been failed out of college, smokes daily, (illegal stuff too), and she drinks and drives; riding around with boys on a regular basis. I felt horrible; somewhat responsible. I felt like I was supposed to be there for them and I wasn’t. I have to realize that God has them, not me. Yes I can influence them, yes I can set an example. That is about all I can do. I can’t control anyone but myself. One of the greatest realizations I have had is that God does a way better job than I ever could. Sometimes that means He works through me, but I personally cannot fix ANYONE. And if someone is going to do something, I can’t stop them. I can choose not to enable, I can choose to cut them off, I can choose to guide or give advice, but that is really the extent of what I should do.

I am not capable, God is. I am not able, God is.

So where does this all fall into place for my story?

I didn’t know that the younger sister had been allowed to smoke until she came over that weekend (which happen to be the weekend I was quitting… In fact the very day).

That was a great reason to really take quitting seriously. I wanted to show my little sister that I did not need cigarettes to help me cope and that I was going to conquer my addiction with God and friends.

That night I broke the rest of the cigarettes in my pack in front of her at my roommate’s request. 

What a powerful moment for God’s glory.

Today it has been officially 21 days since smoking has been out of my life!