Trust God and stand on His Word (promises ) and He will give you Victory! His promises to bless us are "Yes and Amen"! His Word is full of His great and precious promises for our loved ones to be saved and for all the many trying situations we face in life. Many times we are like the Israelites in Numbers chapter 20. God will give us His Word saying, "Trust Me I will make a way", but the enemy will say "No that's not going to happen". Instead of trusting God we get discouraged just like they did, and back off.
They had asked the king of Edom to allow them to go through his country into the Promised Land. And he said "No". So instead of facing the enemy, knowing that God would give them victory, because He wanted them to go into the Promised Land where He could bless them, they backed off. They took the long way around instead of the way God told them to go, so their blessing was delayed. They became impatient and discouraged because it took so long. then they began to mummer and complain. Doesn't that sound like us?
God gives us His Word. He tells us He wants to bless us. And the enemy says "No, that's not going to happen". Instead of facing the enemy head on and fighting him with the "Sword of the Spirit", "God's Word, His promises" we back off. Then we get discouraged because our prayers are not being answered.
The next time around in Numbers chapter 21. The Canaanite King of Arad heard the Israelites were coming so he attacked and captured some of them. Don't expect the enemy to roll out the red carpet for you! He doesn't want you blessed, he doesn't want your loved ones saved, he doesn't want your prayers answered. There's going to be a battle unless you get discouraged and back off.
This time the Israelites got serious about inheriting God's promises and they cried out to the Lord. They said, "Lord if you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities." In other words their enemies would never have a place again.
God knows when we are serious! He knows when we are ready to get down to business and "determine to believe His Word", and not allow the enemy to have any place in our lives or thinking. Then we can expect victory.
Numbers 21:3 says, "The Lord heard their plea and gave them victory!" The only way the enemy can win is when he can convince you with his lies. The only power he has is that you believe him. But when you determine to believe the Word of God, believe what God says about your situation, God will give you victory. Just as the Israelites said, "We will totally destroy their cities",we must say "there will no longer be a place in my mind for the "words of the enemy".
God has promised us victory telling us that, "we are overcomers!" He has given us all that we need to overcome the enemy, "His Blood and His Word." Rev. 11:12 He told Joshua, "Meditate on My Word and you will have victory." Jos. 1:8 Focus on what God says and not what the enemy tries to tell you.
Paul said, in 1Cor 10:6 "Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did."
The Battlefield is our minds. Don't let the enemy have any territory by listening to his words, renew your mind to the what God says about your situation.
"Don't be conformed to this world (Satan is the God of this World), but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable will of God." Rom. 12:2
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
IS LIFE A STRUGGLE OR ARE YOU "RESTING IN HIS ARMS"?
I have learned so much from from the Israelites and their journey in the Book of Numbers. For instance, because they didn't trust God and His promises, ended up wandering in the wilderness the rest of their lives with no direction. They went around that same mountain, never gaining victory, getting nowhere, going in circles. How many of us have been there at one time or another in our lives? You say, "I recognize this place, I have been here before, when am I ever going to learn?" Boy I have! I have been there, done that, and got the tee shirt!
I remember a job that I took out of fear. I knew that it wasn't God's will, but financially I couldn't see how we were going to make it. For almost two years I was miserable and getting nowhere. When I finally saw "the light" and quit it was as if a burden had been lifted and it had! There is nothing like getting the blessing of being in His perfect will.
When we face giants or things that seem insurmountable in our lives we often cower in fear. We end up with lost years when we virtually accomplish nothing. Have you ever heard someone say, "I have lost years of my life because God was teaching me something, it was a wandering time for me?" Well as Paul said, "we are given these stories as examples." The Israelites were out of the will of God because they ceased to trust Him so they just wandered for years accomplishing nothing.
God has a plan and a purpose for every life He created. A plan for good and not for evil. He wants to bless us and give us abundant life. Yes, bad things happen, heartache, sickness, brokenness, because we live in a fallen world. But He told us this would be,"In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jn.16:33 We can overcome any giant, any mountain because He is with us. We don't face the giants alone!!! He says, " Your walls or the things you face are ever before Me." Is. 49:16 He knows what we are facing!
The key is to stay focused on Him for direction. Too many times we, like the Israelites, take our eyes off Him and look at our circumstances. And we say there is no way I am going to be able to get through this. So we do as they did, we try to come up with our own plans and we end up wandering with no purpose or direction, never really getting anywhere.
God has a plan and a purpose specifically for each one of us to accomplish in this life. The main purpose will be accomplished if we have given our lives to Him. That purpose is to spend eternity with Him and we will be blessed beyond our imagination. But when we don't focus on Him during our journey here on this earth, we miss the blessing and purpose He has for us here. The destination may be wonderful, but the journey miserable. It doesn't have to be that way.
His purpose for us, is that our lives revolve around and point to Him. I wonder how many people are miserable because they planned their own lives, instead of seeking God's plan for their lives. They wander around making their own plans seeking their own agenda. "There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is destruction." Prov. 14:12
Ephesians 1:9 tells us that He has made known to us the mystery of His will, which He purposed in Christ. In the fullness of time all creation will all come together in Christ, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Him.
It is the key to understanding life, God created everything to be brought together in Christ. So if we are not moving in the direction of His will, in the direction in which all creation is going, we are going against the flow.
It is like trying to swim upstream always fighting, always struggling, always in a sweat. I don't know about you, but I don't like fighting , struggling, and sweating. I just want to rest in His arms and seek and fulfill His plan for my life.
The Israelites ended up making it into the Promised Land, that is those 20 years old and younger. So God's purpose was fulfilled, He did get the Israelites in, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. The blessing was delayed, because of their disobedience and lack of trust, but His purpose was fulfilled!
Our blessing on this earth doesn't have to be delayed if we just trust Him and go with the flow of all creation. And that is focus on Christ, life is all about Him and His will for each one of us.
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not to your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."Prov. 3:5-6
Trust Him when He has given you direction, keep focused. Meditate on what He has spoken to your heart and then rest in Him. Let Him take care of the giants, the mountains and the walled cities that you face. Stop struggling and go with the flow of all creation, "His will for your life."
I remember a job that I took out of fear. I knew that it wasn't God's will, but financially I couldn't see how we were going to make it. For almost two years I was miserable and getting nowhere. When I finally saw "the light" and quit it was as if a burden had been lifted and it had! There is nothing like getting the blessing of being in His perfect will.
When we face giants or things that seem insurmountable in our lives we often cower in fear. We end up with lost years when we virtually accomplish nothing. Have you ever heard someone say, "I have lost years of my life because God was teaching me something, it was a wandering time for me?" Well as Paul said, "we are given these stories as examples." The Israelites were out of the will of God because they ceased to trust Him so they just wandered for years accomplishing nothing.
God has a plan and a purpose for every life He created. A plan for good and not for evil. He wants to bless us and give us abundant life. Yes, bad things happen, heartache, sickness, brokenness, because we live in a fallen world. But He told us this would be,"In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jn.16:33 We can overcome any giant, any mountain because He is with us. We don't face the giants alone!!! He says, " Your walls or the things you face are ever before Me." Is. 49:16 He knows what we are facing!
The key is to stay focused on Him for direction. Too many times we, like the Israelites, take our eyes off Him and look at our circumstances. And we say there is no way I am going to be able to get through this. So we do as they did, we try to come up with our own plans and we end up wandering with no purpose or direction, never really getting anywhere.
God has a plan and a purpose specifically for each one of us to accomplish in this life. The main purpose will be accomplished if we have given our lives to Him. That purpose is to spend eternity with Him and we will be blessed beyond our imagination. But when we don't focus on Him during our journey here on this earth, we miss the blessing and purpose He has for us here. The destination may be wonderful, but the journey miserable. It doesn't have to be that way.
His purpose for us, is that our lives revolve around and point to Him. I wonder how many people are miserable because they planned their own lives, instead of seeking God's plan for their lives. They wander around making their own plans seeking their own agenda. "There is a way that seems right to man, but it's end is destruction." Prov. 14:12
Ephesians 1:9 tells us that He has made known to us the mystery of His will, which He purposed in Christ. In the fullness of time all creation will all come together in Christ, all things in heaven and earth will come together in Him.
It is the key to understanding life, God created everything to be brought together in Christ. So if we are not moving in the direction of His will, in the direction in which all creation is going, we are going against the flow.
It is like trying to swim upstream always fighting, always struggling, always in a sweat. I don't know about you, but I don't like fighting , struggling, and sweating. I just want to rest in His arms and seek and fulfill His plan for my life.
The Israelites ended up making it into the Promised Land, that is those 20 years old and younger. So God's purpose was fulfilled, He did get the Israelites in, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness. The blessing was delayed, because of their disobedience and lack of trust, but His purpose was fulfilled!
Our blessing on this earth doesn't have to be delayed if we just trust Him and go with the flow of all creation. And that is focus on Christ, life is all about Him and His will for each one of us.
"Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not to your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."Prov. 3:5-6
Trust Him when He has given you direction, keep focused. Meditate on what He has spoken to your heart and then rest in Him. Let Him take care of the giants, the mountains and the walled cities that you face. Stop struggling and go with the flow of all creation, "His will for your life."
Thursday, January 28, 2010
GOD WORKS HIS GRACE AND PURPOSE EVEN WHEN WE MAKE BAD CHOICES
Sometimes we think "well I blew it!" We realize we made a bad choice and it probably wasn't God's perfect will for our lives. In the Old Testament story of Jacob, Leah and Rachel, Jacob in looking for a wife didn't consult God, but chose what looked good in his own eyes and got himself into a mess. He ended up with two squabbling women that I am sure made his life miserable and working for 14 years because he was deceived. We reap what we sow, so we may have to go through some miserable times because of our bad choices.
Later Jacob was blessed by God, and his son Judah by Leah was in the lineage of Jesus.
So God's purpose was still fulfilled in Jacob's life. God worked His purpose for Jacob's even in the midst of the mess Jacob had created by his bad choices.
In our Wednesday night Bible Study, Pastor larry applied this to marriages and relationships. If we just continue to trust God, even though we have made a mess of things, God can bring us through and bless us.
Later Jacob was blessed by God, and his son Judah by Leah was in the lineage of Jesus.
So God's purpose was still fulfilled in Jacob's life. God worked His purpose for Jacob's even in the midst of the mess Jacob had created by his bad choices.
In our Wednesday night Bible Study, Pastor larry applied this to marriages and relationships. If we just continue to trust God, even though we have made a mess of things, God can bring us through and bless us.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
All we have to know is that God loves us and He holds our future. Knowing that we can step out into His unfailing promises Trusting Him "ONE DAY AT A TIME."
In Numbers 13:1 God told the Israelites to take 12 spies and go into the Land, but this was only after they insisted on having it their way, which was to spy out the land instead of taking God at His Word. As a result they were afraid and they saw all the giants and they looked at themselves as grasshoppers. Instead of seeing how big their God was they saw the greatness of what they were facing.
Isn't that what we do sometimes? We look through human eyes instead of the eyes of the Spirit. God says "Just trust Me,"but the enemy shows us his view of what is ahead and we say there is no way I am going to be able to conquer this. We give in and forfeit all the plans the Lord has for us. A whole generation of people died in the wilderness and never fulfilled the great and wonderful plan God had for their lives.
Yes there may be suffering involved, but God has promised He would never leave nor forsake us. His Amazing grace will get us through times we could never imagine, when we trust Him to fulfill His perfect plan and purpose for our lives.
I remember in 1999 when God called me into ministry. I guess if I had known what was ahead in preparing me for the fulfillment of that call and His purpose for my life, I would have said, "No Way." By His grace I endured things I never thought I would be able to endure. But His wonderful amazing grace brought me through.
The eyes of the enemy may be spying out your future for you today. He is showing you all the giants and the difficult things that lie ahead. God said in Isaiah 40:22, "They are like grasshoppers to Him." Choose instead to look through the eyes of the Spirit, saying "God has given me a purpose, hope and a future, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Jermiah 29:11, Phillipians 4:13 (these are His promises).
"Shout Grace! Grace! to that mountain and He will remove it!!! Not by power not by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord will this mountain be removed." Zechariah 4:6 It is His Grace that brings us through the hard times.
Caleb even after he had seen the giants said, "Our God is well and able to take the Land." Be like Caleb and Joshua who were ready to step into the Promised Land trusting the Lord and His love for them and the promise for their future. They chose to step in and take it "ONE DAY AT A TIME" trusting the Lord each step of the way.
In Numbers 13:1 God told the Israelites to take 12 spies and go into the Land, but this was only after they insisted on having it their way, which was to spy out the land instead of taking God at His Word. As a result they were afraid and they saw all the giants and they looked at themselves as grasshoppers. Instead of seeing how big their God was they saw the greatness of what they were facing.
Isn't that what we do sometimes? We look through human eyes instead of the eyes of the Spirit. God says "Just trust Me,"but the enemy shows us his view of what is ahead and we say there is no way I am going to be able to conquer this. We give in and forfeit all the plans the Lord has for us. A whole generation of people died in the wilderness and never fulfilled the great and wonderful plan God had for their lives.
Yes there may be suffering involved, but God has promised He would never leave nor forsake us. His Amazing grace will get us through times we could never imagine, when we trust Him to fulfill His perfect plan and purpose for our lives.
I remember in 1999 when God called me into ministry. I guess if I had known what was ahead in preparing me for the fulfillment of that call and His purpose for my life, I would have said, "No Way." By His grace I endured things I never thought I would be able to endure. But His wonderful amazing grace brought me through.
The eyes of the enemy may be spying out your future for you today. He is showing you all the giants and the difficult things that lie ahead. God said in Isaiah 40:22, "They are like grasshoppers to Him." Choose instead to look through the eyes of the Spirit, saying "God has given me a purpose, hope and a future, and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Jermiah 29:11, Phillipians 4:13 (these are His promises).
"Shout Grace! Grace! to that mountain and He will remove it!!! Not by power not by might, but by My Spirit says the Lord will this mountain be removed." Zechariah 4:6 It is His Grace that brings us through the hard times.
Caleb even after he had seen the giants said, "Our God is well and able to take the Land." Be like Caleb and Joshua who were ready to step into the Promised Land trusting the Lord and His love for them and the promise for their future. They chose to step in and take it "ONE DAY AT A TIME" trusting the Lord each step of the way.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
BLESSED IS SHE WHO HAS BELIEVED THAT WHAT THE LORD HAS SAID TO HER WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED!!!
The dark day in which we live in is not unlike the time when our Savior first came to the earth, a day where darkness and evil prevails.
King Herod who ruled at that time was a cruel and evil man. It was said that he killed his own children because he feared they would take his throne.
That same evil spirit prevails today as thousands of babies are sacrificed because of the self seeking, self gratification of their parents. Not only are they being aborted in their mothers wombs, but we hear on the news every day countless tales of the cruelty of parents abusing and killing their children.
Just as King Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, that same spirit is seeking out today those who would truly carry Jesus in their heart. That evil spirit wants to abolish any mention of the name of Jesus. His mission is to stop the birth of Jesus in the lives of those in the earth today just as it was then.
In this day just as it was in the day our Savior was born, the Lord is looking for Marys who will be faithful to Him. In Him there is no gender. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to strengthen those hearts who are fully committed to Him." 2Chron. 16:9
Reading the Magnificant in Luke 1:46, we see that Mary was a lover of God who knew the scriptures, she knew His Word. He is looking for those who are lovers of God just like Mary willing to believe that He can do the impossible by the power of the Holy Sprit in their lives.
"Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!!! " Luke 1:45
King Herod who ruled at that time was a cruel and evil man. It was said that he killed his own children because he feared they would take his throne.
That same evil spirit prevails today as thousands of babies are sacrificed because of the self seeking, self gratification of their parents. Not only are they being aborted in their mothers wombs, but we hear on the news every day countless tales of the cruelty of parents abusing and killing their children.
Just as King Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, that same spirit is seeking out today those who would truly carry Jesus in their heart. That evil spirit wants to abolish any mention of the name of Jesus. His mission is to stop the birth of Jesus in the lives of those in the earth today just as it was then.
In this day just as it was in the day our Savior was born, the Lord is looking for Marys who will be faithful to Him. In Him there is no gender. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to strengthen those hearts who are fully committed to Him." 2Chron. 16:9
Reading the Magnificant in Luke 1:46, we see that Mary was a lover of God who knew the scriptures, she knew His Word. He is looking for those who are lovers of God just like Mary willing to believe that He can do the impossible by the power of the Holy Sprit in their lives.
"Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!!! " Luke 1:45
Monday, November 2, 2009
TRUSTING GOD IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE
Life is continually changing. The death of a loved one, the loss of a job, an illness,and growing older to mention a few. Then there are changes that appear to be good changes, but require adjustments that can sometimes be difficult, such as marriage, the birth of baby, a new job, moving to a new place. What ever it may be life is continually changing. I read a Christian article recently that said we need to "embrace change." Yet we often resist change. It has been said, "that we are creatures of habit" and change requires that we come out of our comfort zone.
Let's face it we just don't like change. We like to stay where things are comfortable and familiar. Yet God taught His people in the Wilderness to depend upon Him and embrace change instead of resisting it.
Paul tells us this picture of "the children of Israel in the Wilderness" is given to us as an "example" to follow.
They camped out in tents on their way to the Promised Land of Blessing. Each day they would get up and look to see if the cloud had lifted over the Tabernacle which housed the presence of God in the center of their camp. He gave them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead them. When the cloud lifted they moved, if it stayed they stayed. They never knew from one day to the next whether or not they would be moving to another location on their way to the Promised Blessing God had for them. They could be in one spot for only one day, or it could be months or even years before they would move.
This way God was teaching them to depend on Him. I am sure there were some places where they got comfortable and thought maybe they would like to stay in this place and make it home. And then they would get up the next day and the cloud had lifted. Then there would be places that were uncomfortable, probably where there were snakes and scorpions and they couldn't wait to leave. And they would end up being there for a long time.
Life is like that. We don't know what tomorrow will bring as we camp out in these "tents" called bodies on our way to the Promised Blessing (God has great and precious promises in His Word ).You may not like where you are camped out right now. You may have just experienced a loss in your life, or it maybe an illness you are having to endure. Something may have happened and you feel like your world is falling apart.
Yet when we have the Lord in the center of wherever we are camped we are going to make it through. We look to Him to lead us and guide us into His great and precious promises. He promised He would not leave nor forsake us. He promised us an "abundant life" (Jn.10 :10). He said "I will make a roadway in the Wilderness and give you streams in the desert." Trust ME!!!Is. 43:19
God tells us in His Word that He has come to gives us an abundant, blessed life. Just like a woman when she finds out she is pregnant and God is going to bless her with a child. At first there is no sign that she is going to have a child. To look at her you would never know. Her body begins to CHANGE and actually life gets worse for awhile. She begins to swell, and right before that child is born she becomes quite miserable experiencing a great amount of pain. But then when that baby is born what a blessing!!!
Some of you look at your circumstances right now and there is no sign of blessing. In fact it looks like things are worse and life is painful. But the Lord says "hang in there! Trust Me! Don't look at your situation as it is. Blessing is coming!!!
The Lord says "Before the birth pains began she gave birth and delivered a child? Whoever heard of such a thing? Would I bring to the time of birth and then not cause delivery?" Is. 66:7
Trust Him that even in the midst of the worst circumstances that He is going to do something great in and through your life. Remember there was a whole generation of people who never entered into His "promised blessing" because they didn't listen to Him, believe Him and obey Him. I believe there will be many people in Heaven who never experienced His blessing on this earth, because they chose to dwell on their circumstances instead of trusting God
Make sure that He is in the center of your "camp (life)". Look to Him to lead you and guide you, not at how bad your circumstances are. We serve a God who never changes. He is the same God today who led His children through the Wilderness thousands of years ago. Embrace the change in your life. Know that He who is faithful will bring you though what ever circumstance you face in life. "I am the Lord and I change not." Mal. 3:6
Let's face it we just don't like change. We like to stay where things are comfortable and familiar. Yet God taught His people in the Wilderness to depend upon Him and embrace change instead of resisting it.
Paul tells us this picture of "the children of Israel in the Wilderness" is given to us as an "example" to follow.
They camped out in tents on their way to the Promised Land of Blessing. Each day they would get up and look to see if the cloud had lifted over the Tabernacle which housed the presence of God in the center of their camp. He gave them a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to lead them. When the cloud lifted they moved, if it stayed they stayed. They never knew from one day to the next whether or not they would be moving to another location on their way to the Promised Blessing God had for them. They could be in one spot for only one day, or it could be months or even years before they would move.
This way God was teaching them to depend on Him. I am sure there were some places where they got comfortable and thought maybe they would like to stay in this place and make it home. And then they would get up the next day and the cloud had lifted. Then there would be places that were uncomfortable, probably where there were snakes and scorpions and they couldn't wait to leave. And they would end up being there for a long time.
Life is like that. We don't know what tomorrow will bring as we camp out in these "tents" called bodies on our way to the Promised Blessing (God has great and precious promises in His Word ).You may not like where you are camped out right now. You may have just experienced a loss in your life, or it maybe an illness you are having to endure. Something may have happened and you feel like your world is falling apart.
Yet when we have the Lord in the center of wherever we are camped we are going to make it through. We look to Him to lead us and guide us into His great and precious promises. He promised He would not leave nor forsake us. He promised us an "abundant life" (Jn.10 :10). He said "I will make a roadway in the Wilderness and give you streams in the desert." Trust ME!!!Is. 43:19
God tells us in His Word that He has come to gives us an abundant, blessed life. Just like a woman when she finds out she is pregnant and God is going to bless her with a child. At first there is no sign that she is going to have a child. To look at her you would never know. Her body begins to CHANGE and actually life gets worse for awhile. She begins to swell, and right before that child is born she becomes quite miserable experiencing a great amount of pain. But then when that baby is born what a blessing!!!
Some of you look at your circumstances right now and there is no sign of blessing. In fact it looks like things are worse and life is painful. But the Lord says "hang in there! Trust Me! Don't look at your situation as it is. Blessing is coming!!!
The Lord says "Before the birth pains began she gave birth and delivered a child? Whoever heard of such a thing? Would I bring to the time of birth and then not cause delivery?" Is. 66:7
Trust Him that even in the midst of the worst circumstances that He is going to do something great in and through your life. Remember there was a whole generation of people who never entered into His "promised blessing" because they didn't listen to Him, believe Him and obey Him. I believe there will be many people in Heaven who never experienced His blessing on this earth, because they chose to dwell on their circumstances instead of trusting God
Make sure that He is in the center of your "camp (life)". Look to Him to lead you and guide you, not at how bad your circumstances are. We serve a God who never changes. He is the same God today who led His children through the Wilderness thousands of years ago. Embrace the change in your life. Know that He who is faithful will bring you though what ever circumstance you face in life. "I am the Lord and I change not." Mal. 3:6
Monday, October 12, 2009
TIMES OF PAIN AND SUFFERING
Losses in life can be extremely painful and hard to understand
Whether it is the the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, or an illness that keeps us from experiencing life in it's fullness, we struggle to undrstand why. How could our loving Father allow this to happen? While we know we live in a fallen world and we face an enemy, we also know that there is nothing too hard for our God. There is nothing that can happen that doesn't first filter through His hands. So we cry out for insight and understanding.
In this lifetime we may not find the answer. "All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. " 1Cor. 13:12b NLT The best that we can do is trust Him that He has an eternal purpose that we cannot yet see. We give to Him that which we do not understand. We give Him our hurt, our pain our loss to be offered up as a sacrifice, Saying "I don't understand Lord, but I trust You." David said"I will not sacrifice that which cost me nothing."2Sam. 24:24
I think of the woman with the alabaster box. She gave all that she had, the most expensive thing that she could give to anoint His Body. In our brokenness we can do the same thing. There is an anointing that comes with brokenness when we willingly give that which cost us. When we give our hurt our pain, our loss, saying, "Lord I don't understand, but I trust You." There is an anointing that will be used for the glory of God, as we journey toward our Heavenly Home. God uses those who give their all to Him, trusting Him, in the dark painful times in their lives.
When we trust Him in times of great trial and hardship He will bring us through and use what we have offered up to Him that He may be glorified."I will deliver you and you will glorify Me." Ps. 50:15
"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." Mark 9:49 Our sacrifices are seasoned with salt, making the world hungry for God. I believe that one day we will see those in Heaven who are there as a result of those painful things we went through in this life and chose to offer up to our Lord. Trusting Him in our deepest darkest times, that eternal purposes are being achieved.
Meanwhile His grace, mercy and love is sufficient to get through any trial or tribulation this life presents. He has promised He would not leave nor forsake us.
"Trust Him when you don't understand. Trust His heart. Trust His purpose. Trust Him when it is your heart that is broken. Trust His goodness. Trust Him beyond the grave. Trust Him to know best. Trust His plan to be bigger than yours. Trust Him to keep His Word. Trust Him to be on time. Trust Him to be enough. Trust Him to set you free. Trust Him and Him alone. The times when you and I can't trace His hand of purpose, we must trust His heart of love." Anne Graham Lotz
Lord, help us as we lift up to you all our hurts, our pain, our loss as a sacrifice. Strengthen us in you. We pray that You will take all the the enemy has used to cause hurt and pain in our lives, and turn it around for Your glory. Let our sacrifices be seasoned with salt and used for eternal purposes. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2Cor. 4:18
Whether it is the the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, or an illness that keeps us from experiencing life in it's fullness, we struggle to undrstand why. How could our loving Father allow this to happen? While we know we live in a fallen world and we face an enemy, we also know that there is nothing too hard for our God. There is nothing that can happen that doesn't first filter through His hands. So we cry out for insight and understanding.
In this lifetime we may not find the answer. "All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now. " 1Cor. 13:12b NLT The best that we can do is trust Him that He has an eternal purpose that we cannot yet see. We give to Him that which we do not understand. We give Him our hurt, our pain our loss to be offered up as a sacrifice, Saying "I don't understand Lord, but I trust You." David said"I will not sacrifice that which cost me nothing."2Sam. 24:24
I think of the woman with the alabaster box. She gave all that she had, the most expensive thing that she could give to anoint His Body. In our brokenness we can do the same thing. There is an anointing that comes with brokenness when we willingly give that which cost us. When we give our hurt our pain, our loss, saying, "Lord I don't understand, but I trust You." There is an anointing that will be used for the glory of God, as we journey toward our Heavenly Home. God uses those who give their all to Him, trusting Him, in the dark painful times in their lives.
When we trust Him in times of great trial and hardship He will bring us through and use what we have offered up to Him that He may be glorified."I will deliver you and you will glorify Me." Ps. 50:15
"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt." Mark 9:49 Our sacrifices are seasoned with salt, making the world hungry for God. I believe that one day we will see those in Heaven who are there as a result of those painful things we went through in this life and chose to offer up to our Lord. Trusting Him in our deepest darkest times, that eternal purposes are being achieved.
Meanwhile His grace, mercy and love is sufficient to get through any trial or tribulation this life presents. He has promised He would not leave nor forsake us.
"Trust Him when you don't understand. Trust His heart. Trust His purpose. Trust Him when it is your heart that is broken. Trust His goodness. Trust Him beyond the grave. Trust Him to know best. Trust His plan to be bigger than yours. Trust Him to keep His Word. Trust Him to be on time. Trust Him to be enough. Trust Him to set you free. Trust Him and Him alone. The times when you and I can't trace His hand of purpose, we must trust His heart of love." Anne Graham Lotz
Lord, help us as we lift up to you all our hurts, our pain, our loss as a sacrifice. Strengthen us in you. We pray that You will take all the the enemy has used to cause hurt and pain in our lives, and turn it around for Your glory. Let our sacrifices be seasoned with salt and used for eternal purposes. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2Cor. 4:18
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