My husband and I married over 20 years ago on a chilly, rainy, spring day. One year later caught me in a whirlwind as I was celebrating my first wedding anniversary, my first Mother's Day, and my first publication as a freelance writer. The birth of our third child followed a couple months after we celebrated our twins' 3rd birthday. Though a pen has been one of my constant companions, I have not pursued writing professionally due to the monumental task of homemaking and the raising of children. A shout out to my Robert who has been our sole provider while I have had the pleasure and privilege of remaining home with our children to homeschool them. Now, thanks to him, I have the liberty to once again pursue my passion to write and encourage others in written word as we journey with God through life experiences.
26 For the king himself knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.”
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, “Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian.” Acts 26:26-28 KJV
Almost persuaded.
Several years ago we were at one of our “go-to” campgrounds. It was quiet, the campground nearly empty, when the host dropped by for an extended visit at our picnic table. How our conversation got to where it did is a mystery to me, but the point is, we ended up witnessing to him about Jesus. I felt compelled to reinforce how much God loves him. And yes, life doesn’t make sense, and bad things happen, and we make bad choices that sometimes lead to bad consequences, but that doesn’t change the truth that God is a good, loving God and yearns to have relationship with us.
Jim was “on the line”. I could tell by his tender expression and quiet contemplative engagement with us that Holy Spirit was moving upon him. I could also feel his hesitancy. I sensed about him that once he’s committed to something he’s committed, which is good and proper, especially where relationships are concerned. In Luke 14:28 we are told to “consider the cost”, maybe that’s what Jim was internally doing. Not wanting to push, and feeling a window instead of a full-fledged door of entry, I asked him to consider what we discussed, he said he would; I offered prayer, which he welcomed; I gave him a ministry magazine that I had with me that he received.
We still go to that campground, but we have never returned to those weighty, spiritual conversations and I have yet to know whether he has made a decision for Jesus. I wish I had that assurance, for I know God was reaching out to him that day.
Are you one of those who are almost persuaded to be a Christian? I hope not. If Holy Spirit has moved upon you I hope that you will be wholly persuaded and open the door and let Him in. If you wish to consider the cost, do so; that is a good, wise choice. I ensure you that true discipleship is costly, it is also worth the price. If you are willing to embark on a relationship with Jesus, please say this prayer with me:
God, thank You for sending Jesus, Your only begotten Son. I believe that He suffered and died for my sins, that He received all the punishment I deserve. I also believe that he is risen from the grave and is seated at Your right hand, and is preparing a place for me with You in eternity.
I’m sorry for the way I’ve lived, for the things I’ve done that have hurt You and others. Please forgive me and come into my life. Lead me, strengthen me to the live the life that You have purposed for me. I know I won’t do life perfect, but from here on out, I want to do it with You.
Thank You, I love You. Amen.
Perhaps today’s post made you think of someone that is almost persuaded. Join me in a prayer for them today:
Dear LORD, You have called us to be salt and light and we are doing that. There are dear souls that You have brought into our lives to point them to You. We pray that we drop seed, water seed, shine on seed, and gather seed as You direct. Oh, my God, cause us to do no harm but only good to all of our fellow man, but especially to those who would walk this pilgrim path with us.May “you almost persuade me” not be heard in our ears, but rather a “Yes” for You.
Thank Your for Your goodness and Your faithfulness to us all. Amen.
Have you ever asked a stupid question? Perhaps like me, you have heard, “There are no stupid questions.” I think I found one. A mother of one of our in-laws recently passed away. I called to offer condolences and ask if there was anything I could do. I heard myself asking, “Was this expected?” I’m sure you know what I mean; there are sudden, unexpected deaths and then there are the deaths that come on the heels of doctors’ prognosis. Interestingly enough, my in-law said, “Oh yeah, we’ve been expecting this for 30 years” (due to heart problems).
As I reflected on our brief conversation, I thought, How stupid of me to ask if it was expected. From the moment we are born we begin to die. No matter how good a life we live, no matter how long a life we live, if Jesus tarries, we’re all gonna die. In light of that, I can see why certain cultures weave a strand of mourning into the tapestry of life in the joyful event of birth. Being in this world, we will have trying times and death lies ahead.
As I was contemplating the difficult business of living and dying, I came up with the name of someone that made me smile, an example of a life that’s worth emulating: John Chapman. It is said that John Chapman, a.k.a. Johnny Appleseed, walked the countryside for nearly 50 years, creating nurseries for his precious seed that would grow into apple trees. I never noticed how many are scattered abroad until last fall when I saw trees heavily laden with the copious fruit everywhere we went. What a testament to this legendary man. He is an example to us of finding something worth living for and doing it until our dying day. Could you imagine what life would be like if we lived our lives full of passion like he did? We don’t need platforms or stages to fulfill our purpose, we simply need to be faithful to cultivate the “seeds” God gave us and deposit them everywhere we go.
So how do we live a worthwhile life? We live like we’re going to die — because that’s what’s going to happen if Jesus tarries. Do I relish the thought of dying? No, not necessarily, but it’s gonna happen. I need to do what I can do: Live my best life in the here and now. Like Johnny Appleseed, I need to drop as many seeds and build as many nurseries as I can to grow and guard my purpose. Are you willing to do the same?
Join me today in living and loving life . . . and maybe eat an apple.
Photo by @jgabriel_j Jou00e3o Gabriel on Pexels.com
Tomorrow is A Day of National Repentance. I would have let you know sooner but I only discovered it today. If you want more information, it can be found by going to the link below. If it says it can’t find the page, click on “see more posts” and the printed version will come up.
If that doesn’t work, and you’re interested, the informative post can be found by searching givehim15.com. The date will be January 30, 2024 and the title is A Sense of Urgency. It can be read or watched. The event takes place in DC and can be joined online by texting the word “prayer” to 67742 or go to NGPR.org. from the eastern time of 7:30 a.m. to around 1:30 p.m.
I thought it timely as I was reading a prayer of repentance for the people of Israel, (which could easily be transcribed for us), in Ezra 9:6-15 only yesterday. Tears streamed down my face as I thought how far down the road the United States of America has gone from the LORD. We may not be rejecting the LORD, but at some point and time we must join together and repent on behalf of those who are; tomorrow seems to be the day. We pray for we have hope for our nation, and no one whose hope is in the LORD will be put to shame (Psalm 25:3).
Whether you see this in time to participate or not, it is never too late to pray.
As the title says, today’s topic is Providence, but not the one in Rhode Island, the One in Heaven, the One in our hearts — if we so chose.
For several weeks, I’d been turning a passage of scripture around in my head. The portion is from Leviticus 25. God is instructing the children of Israel what to do when they come into the land that He is giving them. These verses deal a lot with the land itself. One of the things they were to do was let the ground fallow on the seventh Sabbath year; that means no tilling. Matter of fact, they were supposed to go so far as to not even prune their trees. In verse 20 they asked a legitimate question: “What are we going to eat?” God smiled and shared with them His marvelous plan. They would have triple the harvest in the sixth year, thereby providing for the sixth, seventh, and even into the eighth year before that harvest. And what were they supposed to do with the volunteer produce during the seventh year? It was for the poor of the land and the animals. It was a testament to His chosen people and to surrounding nations of God’s marvelous provision for those who regard Him and His Word.
In kind, I thought about Elijah and the widow woman in Zarephath. He came on the scene as she was gathering sticks so that she could take her handful of meal, her little oil, and make a cake for her and her son so that they may die. Sounds disheartening, doesn’t it? The prophet asked her to do the unthinkable: “Do as you said; but make me a little cake first.” Many would probably think: The audacity! Let’s look at this: his request came as direction given him from the LORD for his care and a promise from the LORD for provision for all three of them. If she served him first, she could feed them from the meal that would not run out and the vessel of oil that would not empty until the LORD sent rain on the earth.
Can you imagine what might have crossed her mind? Who knows? In verse 9 the LORD tells Elijah that He commanded a widow woman there to feed him. How did He speak to her? There’s no indication that she believed in the God of the Jews but she certainly recognized Him for she said to Elijah, “the LORD thy God” when stating how little in substance she had. That being said, she was expecting someone, right? But she probably didn’t have a clue as to who. Did she speak to the prophet the way she did to feel him out, to see if he was the one of whom the LORD commanded? Regardless, she did as she was told. She trusted a God that was not her own and acted on the words of the man of God thereby feeding them all. What results could we expect by trusting a God that is our own and act on His words?
I know I’m on the right track by coming to you and presenting us a case to trust the LORD to provide for us. As I was turning scripture over in my mind, I happened upon a little snippet of a ministry program. The hostess was sharing that many years ago they needed rent for their little meeting place. If memory serves, they needed $75, only $30 came in. They prayed and recounted. This I believe she said they did three times; on the third time they had the full amount. On another occasion they were in a foreign country and wanted to provide dinners for the ministers there. They ordered for the amount of those who reserved their place; twice as many showed up. The servers did not fret, but instead prayed and trusted the LORD to provide — which He did; the meals that they ordered multiplied and all were fed.
We need to think outside of the box. Many of the things I’m presenting are for physical sustenance. When we return to the story of the widow, we discover a few verses down that her son became sick unto death. It was the prophet, through the power of the living God, who raised him from the dead. If she had not stepped out in faith in the first place, she and her son would have died. But the encounter with the man of God not only sustained them through drought, but brought her son back to life. This was the first recorded instance in the Bible where a person was raised from the dead. The faith that the two of them had was illogical — there was no precedence for resurrecting the dead. And yet, for whatever reason, Elijah petitioned the LORD God Almighty and he believed for what they could have considered impossible.
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26 KJV
What are you facing today? Does your situation look as bleak as the widow woman’s? Bleaker? Then be of good cheer! ”Christi, you’ve gone mad,” you say. No I haven’t.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 KJV
Reflect upon what the prophet believed for and received from God before Jesus’ coming. He didn’t live on this side of the cross, he didn’t have the promises of God from the lips of His Son, he didn’t have the blood of Jesus speaking for him — what he did have was faith in God and actions to back it up. What we have is better than what Elijah had and yet he saw the dead come to life. Just think of it! How? How?! you ask.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 KJV
There’s no instruction to fast, to pray ten hail Mary’s, or feed 100 homeless people, there’s nothing to do on our part but seek God and His righteousness first. Then some things will be added unto you. ”You’ll have a little meal and a little oil, I’ll get you through the next three days and then you’ll die.” No, that’s not how God rules. He said all these things shall be added unto you.
Sounds so simple, right? And it is! Yet I sit here at my desk, rowing the same boat with you. I am turning things and needs over in my head, battling distractions so that I can be quiet, seek God, and hear what He has to say about these things; if there are directions I must follow them. If not, I must wait in expectation, quietly trust in Him, and praise Him for the answers I do not yet see with my natural eye.
2024 may feel like a roller coaster ride with highs, lows, faith and blows, but through it all, if we purpose to seek, to obey, and trust God, I believe we will not only be sustained, but we will experience the miraculous. Is there anyone out there who couldn’t stand to see the power of God displayed in their life?
Dear LORD,
We don’t know what lies ahead, but You do; not only do You know, but You go before us and beside us.We thank You for that.Help us to not be moved by what we see or hear, but may we plant ourselves in Your Word — believing nothing and no one that doesn’t line up to You and Your Word, oh LORD.
We need You.We purpose here, together this day, to seek, obey, and trust in You to provide all that we need . . . and more, for You are the God of more than enough.May we be witnesses to those around us of Your marvelous, supernatural providence, and lights to those who stumble in the darkness.May we be living testimonies, bringing praise, glory, and honor to Your name,
One of my student dictionaries defines adventure as a bold, dangerous, or risky undertaking. The second definition, (much more suitable to our family), is an unusual, memorable, or exciting experience. I’m not a jump-out-of-an-airplane kind of girl, but I do like adventures pertaining to the second definition.
I got to thinking about this topic due to an activity Bob and I have done with the girls. Years ago, I’m not sure what spurred me to do this, I had them search for gifts based on the clues I hid for them. When we first began this I believe I was ambitious enough to write rhymes — that didn’t last, but the fun of creating and hiding the clues and the joy of seeing them go on the hunt remained. Honestly, a gift at the end of our “game” is merely the cherry on top of the journey that made the memory.
Did you ever notice what word is in adventure? I didn’t, not until writing this: advent. My student dictionary defines advent as the coming of a new person or thing; we know it as the birth or coming of Jesus Christ and have celebrated it formally during the period of the four Sundays before Christmas. Arnold Ytreeide wrote a series of three advent books that I read with the girls over the course of Christmases when we homeschooled. They were good, quality stories. During those times we also lit candles in an advent wreath and had an advent pocket calendar where they picked a little gift every day; gifts as simple as a piece of peppermint candy, snack, sticker, or a small toy.
The coming of a new person or thing is an adventure in and of itself, right? It’s the thrill of the excitement of the unknown. It can also be with people you know well yet couple it with the twist of a new experience and you’ve got an adventure. By golly, even the turning of a new day is an adventure!
What if we treated our Christian walk like the faith adventure that it is? What if, like the girls with their clues, we took time to ponder the words, to seek, to find, to move on to the next step with anticipation knowing that there’s a gift at the end? And what if we did that during times of trial? Oh, especially during times of trial! Can you imagine what a book or a movie or game would be like if there were no adversity? BORING!!! I don’t particularly care to go through tribulation, but what if I looked for the hidden prize within? Yes, I agree, that is so much easier to do in hindsight. But would you at least humor me and take a second or two to contemplate how flavorful our lives would be if we lived them like they are the adventures that they were meant to be?
Adventure can come in the simplest of forms with people we’re very close to. Case in point: while I was letting my draft “cool”, I was out with Mum and grumbling about having a long wait. She smiles and says, “Consider it an adventure.” She didn’t even know what I was writing!
“Yeah, some adventure; sitting in a car waiting for God knows how long.” One might say I had the crankies pertaining to this errand when I could have been at home taking care of the tasks at hand.
“Couldn’t we just enjoy being together?” she asked.
I smiled. She didn’t know the topic of the blog I was creating yet she was eluding to it . . . and I was grumbling instead of relishing it! I did adjust my attitude after that. It’s not fair of me to bring something to you that I’m not willing to practice. Oh, and further, while shopping with the family that same evening I saw a plaque that had a quotation about adventure on it. I don’t take that experience as irony, I take that as confirmation that this is a current word for all of us. Of course adventure can be more involved than having an unexpected lovely chat with Mum while waiting in line for an hour.
Over three weeks ago Laura and I shared the love of God and Jesus as Savior with a local shopkeeper. Know what? That was thrilling! I didn’t know how or if she’d respond. We ended up having a lovely, lengthy conversation in which she said she would think about what we told her that day. To me, sharing Jesus on that level is one of the greatest adventures.
I’d appreciate it if you’d join me in considering being a little bit more risky in the upcoming future; look for Father in surprise opportunities that bring unexpected adventures. I’ve heard it said that it isn’t the things people did do that they regret so much as it is the things they didn’t do. That’s probably accurate. I caught myself telling Rachel of two instances where I wish I would have at least taken a chance and tried out for the solo part. Yeah, I could have been rejected, but at least I would have tried. So what do you say? Are you willing to join me as we sift through the clues of life, working our way to the prize at the end? I hope so!
LORD, I thank You for bringing us to another Christmas season.I don’t know what those who visit here are facing today, if they find themselves in a season of joy, or sorrow, or somewhere in between; but I pray that all of us would see the true beauty of this occasion: that being Your fathomless love given to man in the form of Your Son, Jesus.
We are approaching a new year and I ask that we may see it for the adventure that You meant it to be.Present occasions of the exciting unknown and help us not to miss them, not even when they’re simple chats with loved ones.
Thank You again Father, for Your grace, Your goodness, and Your mercy to us.We adore You.Amen.
A toast to a very Merry Christmas and an adventurous new year!
We had dentist appointments recently and the receptionists were talking about Christmas. One in particular didn’t like Christmas; “too much stress”.
From there we went to a second hand store and the clerk there was telling a patron how her dad had died around Christmas; they buried him December 21st. As I recall, her mother passed away the next Easter. “I don’t celebrate holidays anymore,” was pretty much what she boiled it all down to.
The eavesdropped conversations stuck with me . . . and saddened me.
When one of my closest friends was complaining about her Christmas stressors, (mainly gifting), I removed myself from her gift list; I gave her, (and other people I love), a free pass. I know people want to bless those they love, I’m no different from anybody else, but hearing my friend’s gripes was much like listening to the receptionist in the dentist office. “If you find something that screams me,” I told her, “great, get it. If not, that’s okay. I’m going to do the same for you.” She was so relieved! When did Christmas boil down to decorations, food, and a gift buying frenzy? Yes, I want to give gifts, I want to get gifts, but the true meaning of Christmas is WAY beyond that.
Think about the first Christmas. There’s Mary and Joseph, newly married, being gossiped about, taking a trip when she’s near delivery time — to pay taxes. Their first born son, the Son of God, is laid in a manger. They have no home at that time, they don’t even have a room in the inn. No family for support, just them. And we’re stressing?!
Here’s what God did: He gave them a stable all to themselves. He filled the sky with angels to sing praises to the newborn King. And when the time was right, wise men came with treasure for the toddler King.
So maybe “things” aren’t going our way. Maybe the cake went flat, the artificial tree is so old it’s losing needles, and we haven’t found the perfect gift for the people we love dearly. Or, like the woman in the second hand shop whose Christmas is darkened by the shadow of the death of her father, (and I agree that would be difficult), we’re having trouble seeing the Joy of Christmas due to circumstances. Let’s put this into perspective: What is our suffering here compared in light of eternity? Christmas isn’t about us; it’s about Christ. It’s about how He traded His perfect life in paradise to live as we do for thirty-three years so that He could be an example of God’s love for us and what “life, and life more abundantly” looks like. God gave us every gift He could, including His Son; we just need to unwrap His gifts, read the directions, and use them.
Let me ask you, “Are you ready for Christmas?” I’m not talking about what we made it, but what God designed it to be. A celebration of Him sending His Son, of Jesus being willing to come, of us glorifying and magnifying His holy name for all that He is and all that He has done. Will you join me in meditating on what a beautiful gift we received in the form of a Savior? And because we live on this side of the cross, it’d benefit us to make a point to be thankful for God living in us through Holy Spirit. We have SO MUCH for which to be thankful. Let’s turn our hearts to the ultimate Gifter and ask Him what He would like for His birthday. I can tell you right now, His first and consistent reply would simply be, “To be known and to be loved by you.” Take the time now to invite Him in if you haven’t already:
Dear Jesus, I acknowledge that You are the Son of God, that You came to earth, lived, died in my place, are resurrected and have gone to prepare a place for those who love You. I don’t know You and I haven’t loved You, but I want to. Please forgive me of my sins and be LORD of my life. Thank You. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, tell someone, tell me. And with the rest of us, who have already made Jesus a part of our lives, join us in spending time with Him and making room in our lives for His presence. Then when someone asks us if we’re ready for Christmas, we can answer together with a resounding, “YES!”
There is much time, thought, and prayer invested in this birthday edition of God’s Word Girl. Yes, 5 years ago G.W.G. was born. I hope today’s post blesses you as much as it blessed me to receive the revelation and write it.
After three days of showers of love, I found tears in my eyes as I got ready for bed the night of my birthday. Why? Because my birthday month was proclaimed the “blessing upon blessings” month and yet nothing identifiable had changed. I perceived silence from the One I longed to hear from the most.
My birthday came and went. The month came and went. Nothing. There it was, staring me in the face again: unmet expectations. Nothing hurts worse than believing God for something and not seeing it come to pass. The girls are feeling it, too. I’d hazard to guess that a lot of people are feeling it. In fact, the girls received a bag full of puzzles and Beth quipped, “Well, I guess the ‘blessing upon blessings’ is going to come like the puzzles: piece by piece.” There were no more pieces.
The word got shelved, (more or less), and time and life went on. What also went on was my contemplation.
I had three consecutive dreams involving the bathroom. Most interpreters will say that represents a cleansing of sorts. The dreams spawned questions. “Is there something displeasing within me, LORD?” “Do I need cleansed?” “Am I being cleansed?” “If so, what am I being cleansed from?” “Do I need to take some kind of action, LORD?” It was constantly in the back of my mind. On and on the introspection and seeking went.
Then Mum and I were talking on the phone; we’ve both been seeking understanding and answers. In passing, she made reference to receiving a wrong belief. My spirit went, “Ahhh. That’s it!” A lie, wrong thinking, call it what you will, invaded my mind and I had received it; that’s what I needed cleansed from but I didn’t have the specifics. I knew if I persisted the answer would come. God came by way of a minister through YouTube.
The main text was: “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
2 Corinthians 6:2
Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.
Now means now.
Or how about this version from the New Living Translation?
For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
This was my wrong belief: I sadly realized that I have become what the minister dubbed “a one day girl”. I take out my highlighter, mark and date a verse, so thankful for the revelation, and think, “God has spoken to me and one day this promise is going to come true.” One day…one day… one day… And then another, and another, until a month has passed, a year, decades, and the heart is sick with hope deferred. Why? Because the promise wasn’t fulfilled in my time. Let’s be honest, it probably hasn’t been fulfilled in God’s time either. I suddenly realized that this was the thing from which I needed cleansed, this thing of time. My spirit surged within me, my soul expanded, tears streamed down my cheeks. I have been conditioned to believe this portion of the gospel of satan which begins, “One day…”, meaning later, when God has said, “Today.” I’ve been carrying miracles inside of me for years because I didn’t see them right away. I’ve been waiting for things that Jesus paid for on the cross and declared for all to hear, “It is finished.” His declaration echoes through the ages. God has answers, revelation, and breakthrough for us TODAY. I realized that certain dreams had fallen down to my toes while I have been waiting for “One day . . . ” when God has said:
Now is the accepted time.
Now is the day of salvation.
I’ve taken it in like a sponge, my hope is restored, but I wonder within myself, “Where do I go from here? What does practicing this word look like?”
It looks like consistence and persistence. It is me taking out the sword of the Spirit, the Word of the LORD, and slicing the devil piece by piece if I must. It means taking the promise and decreeing, “Today!” over it until I see in the physical what has been accomplished in the spiritual.
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV
Yes and Amen and I add, Hallelujah!!!
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 68:19 KJV
DAILY.
I have become worn down and weary from the religion of Later. The truth is, these things were taken care of on the cross; all of my current issues were addressed by Jesus over 2000 years ago and He decreed it FINISHED. If I must fight to receive what belongs to me and take it daily inch by inch as I battle to climb out of the bogs of later mentality, then so be it. At least I’ll be advancing inch by inch instead of sitting in my comfy chair waiting for the ever unobtainable “One day . . . ”
Join me in taking the precious promises which we have received with tears of gladness on the onset, but have turned to tears of sorrow from waiting, and decree them afresh, saying,
Today is the day of salvation. This is the day.
God who promised you can not lie. He is faithful to fulfill all that He has said. Let’s quit letting the devil influence us through our eyes and our ears and instead listen to the Voice of the LORD in our hearts and act on His Word.
This is what the LORD has given to me for us TODAY:
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
“Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.” Numbers 23:19, 20 KJV
So,
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23 KJV
Then,
“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews 6:15 KJV
Dig out those promises. If it makes you feel better, yell them out, shout for joy, cry, laugh. Drop the garment of regret for not having gotten out of the easy chair sooner. We’re standing now. Let’s take what belongs to usToday.
Dear LORD,
I repent for my complacency, for taking into my soul the devil’s theology of “One day . . . ” I’m so sorry for all of the time I wasted waiting when waiting was not what You ordained. I trust You to redeem that time and fulfill what You have purposed Today. Thank You for revealing to me wrong beliefs. Thank You for delivering me from “One day . . .” mentality. I don’t want to keep projecting Your promises into the future when so many of them are for Today.
Today I declare that I will see those things which You have said come to pass. I am telling the things I am facing in my life what salvation looks like Today.Today I declare a blessing over my sisters and brothers who have been battling such as I. We are standing upon Your Word and declaring that we are victorious. Even if our advancement only comes inch by inch, I know that it will come, (indeed, is already here in the spirit), when we place our faith and trust in You. Greater are You in us than he that is in the world. You are awesome!
Thank You for revealing Yourself to us. And we thank You in advance for making a quick work of those things which You have promised.
Amen.
p.s.
Is there is a dream or promise that has been stirred in you by this post? If you feel inclined to do so, please share. Let us pray one for another. And when your promise is fulfilled, testify here so that we in “active waiting” will be encouraged to hold on until our Today time is come to rich fulfillment.
I had just sent Laura back to bed. Due to cold symptoms, she hasn’t been sleeping good. We’ve all been there and done that. Getting better can be exhausting. I anointed Laura and called Mum to agree in prayer with us. After amen Mum said she heard the LORD say something she’d never heard Him say before:
“Let Me do it.”
Laura, crying, says, “He has to because I can’t.”
Hearing her say that out loud made me think of how needy we really are. We can’t do anything on our own. Oh, the self-sufficient and independent may argue.
“Look at the money I make.”
“Look at the house I built.”
“Look at the car I drive.”
“Look at the awards I won.”
And yet what would any braggart do if his bank account was emptied, his legs were taken out from beneath him, and his very breath were removed from his lungs? We are dependent on God for the very air we breathe.
“Let Me do it.”
Let Him promote us.
Let Him build our families.
Let Him make our bodies whole.
Let Him lead.
Last month I was struggling with a chapter that I’ve been writing for a novel. I bet I wrestled with it for three weeks. I was beyond frustrated. Yes, the chapter is good, but I suddenly realized it was out of time. I moved on to the next chapter, (knowing I will go back to the prior), and had the first draft completed in five days. That experience caused me to do some introspection.
I was forcing a chapter ahead of itself. Were there other things in my life with which I’ve been doing the same? It really got me to considering what God wants (not that I haven’t been considering it all along) and making me wonder if I’ve been doing it His way. All along I’ve been praying, “God, help me do this” instead of “LORD, show me how You want this done.” Face it, there are times when we know that we know what the destination is: health, peace, relational harmony, prosperity, but are we inviting Him to show us the best route as to how to get there? What good is praying for direction if we intend to do it our way anyway? That attitude is no good. We by ourselves can do nothing. But we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. Not outside of Christ, inside of Christ.
He has empowered us to do certain things today (and everyday). Currently, for Laura, it is being well again, being made whole. For me, it is writing and managing the affairs of my home. That is my assignment from the LORD.
Join me today in realizing our responsibility to seek Him and ask Him how to best fulfill His calling for us. His destination for us is better than we could ever imagine; His route is the best way.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 KJV. In other words, God is working in us, giving us the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him. Amen!
Now I’ve got to go, the LORD and I, we have writing to do 🙂 .
Over two months ago I got into some kind of poisonous weed. I assumed it was poison ivy at first but it was worse, like poison ivy on steroids. Of course I had prayer, LOTS of prayer. If you’ve never suffered from itch, burn, rash, fever, inflammation, pain, sleepless nights, then you can’t appreciate how a person with allergic reactions feel. Suffice it to say, I was miserable. It was a real battle on multiple levels. The girls were mystified asking, “How could God make something that can cause so much harm?” The question didn’t sit right with me but I couldn’t refute it; after all, I bore the repercussions of that plant in marks from chest to toe.
Then Mum, unaware of our cries, inadvertently set our curiosity straight with a statement in a prayer over me: “How dare you (devil) take something that God made and turn it into something like this!”
Huh, I thought. Why didn’t it occur to me until she said that that God made the plant but He didn’t inject the poison? Don’t get me wrong; I did NOT “credit” God with my suffering, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around why He’d make something so toxic — He didn’t. How do I know He didn’t? Because Genesis 1:31 says God saw everything that He made and it was good.
Check out these verses:
“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Matthew 19:4-6 is power-packed. It addresses three major issues: 1.gender: male and female; 2.marriage: a man leaves parents and becomes attached to his wife; and 3.divorce: let no one divide a man and his wife.
Further:
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3 says children are both an inheritance and a reward.
This is what we get from a few mere verses: male and female — good. Marriage — good. Children — good. Yet what are we seeing? Fornication, adultery, abuse, abortion, confusion, divorce, and on and on. Why? We aren’t renewing our minds with the Bible, what God says is good and living according to that.
Let me give you an example: Just yesterday I was having a conversation with a woman who said, “Children get worse the older they get.” I disagree. My girls have risen up to assist me in all kinds of ways in all kinds of circumstances. They are such a blessing to me! And yet when we’d tell people we have daughters we’d get the “Ought-oh, look out!” to which Bob used to agree — until I set him straight. I asked him to show me where that comes from and why he felt the need to agree with that sentiment. He quit agreeing. That was a terrible worldview, not the Gospel. I wonder how much crap we’re absorbing because we aren’t holding our beliefs and ideologies to the Light of Christ and the fire of Holy Spirit. Oh, and by the way, the woman is receiving what she’s been professing concerning her children. Could we please quit crediting God with things He has not done and divide the Truth, which will set us free, from lies, and live according to that instead?
God saw all that He made and declared it good. Join me today in asking Him to illuminate those paths in which we may be wandering in darkness. And remember this: God — good; devil — bad. Have a blessed day!
We had a friend who has gone on to be with the LORD who used to say of certain thoughts, “These are the things that make you go ‘Hmm’.” I find it amusing because “Huh” or “Hmm” come up when I am talking with others; it must be universal. What I present to you today you may have already considered, but it definitely caused me to “Hmm…”
Deuteronomy Chapter 28 lists blessings and curses dependent on us: “If you will . . . then I will . . . ” says the LORD. The blessing part is wonderful, the cursing part, not so much. If memory serves, I have submitted posts about the “If you will . . . then I will . . . ” relationship that we have with the LORD. So I will preface today’s subject matter by saying that I still adhere to my belief that we do have certain “responsibilities” in our walk with God; what we think, say, and do effects our relationship, but I’m wondering if, like me, perhaps it’s time to look at things in a new way.
As I stated earlier, the first 14 verses in Deuteronomy are blessing, blessing, blessing — if we will. Verses 15-68 deal with cursing, cursing, cursing — if we do not. The first part of the chapter, much more pleasant, just saying. Now, I like visiting and claiming the blessings but that can be tricky if I’m trying to assert them when I feel like I’ve had a “I did not” such and such sort of day. Do you know what I’m saying? I failed. Then I got hold of a teaching that brought up this portion of scripture and focused in on the first two verses. The thought was basically this:
“Quit reading ‘If you will’ and read ‘Jesus did’. As in, Jesus obeyed the voice of the LORD and observed all of His commandments. Therefore, I am set on high and am blessed because of what Jesus did.”
That not only made me sit back and say, “Hmm”, it liberated me. The Old Testament is a blessing; one of my favorite books of the Bible is Isaiah. I have received personal words from these dear, old passages, but I’ve got to look at things in their proper perspective. The Old Testament was B.C. We are on this side of the cross. This was a HUGE revelation to me. Just look at this comparison:
1 Corinthians 2:9 quotes from Isaiah 64:4 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Verse 10 in 1 Corinthians goes on to say, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
So the things that men didn’t hear or see, God has revealed to us by His Spirit. I wonder how many things Holy Spirit would help me understand if I but committed to understand. As such, I asked the LORD to help me to look at the Old Testament through New Testament eyes, that is, new covenant eyes. It can be done; these scriptures prove it:
1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.”
Colossians 3:10 “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
John 13:16 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
1 John 2:27 “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”
Aren’t these scriptures a far cry from not hearing, seeing, and perceiving? My mind was exploding. Is yours?
I return to my opening scripture from Deuternonomy about curses and apply this New Testament verse:
Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” Christ took all of the curses listed in Deuteronomy. The blessings of God in my life aren’t contingent upon my righteousness but on the righteousness of Christ in me. I’m not carrying myself, Jesus is carrying me. Come on now, is anyone out there finding this as liberating as I am?
I invite you to join me in this journey by viewing the Old Testament through New Testament eyes. By doing so, I think we are in for a marvelous trip! You know what’s really awesome? Take note of how good God was to mankind before the cross, how much more so now that Jesus’ Blood has made us legitimate joint-heirs with Him (Romans 8:17)? Isn’t that awesome? Mind boggling? Wonderful and weighty all at the same time? Oh, I feel I have SO much to learn and such little time to learn it!
Thank you for joining me. I have a special request for today’s post, an assignment of sorts. Reflect upon an Old Testament scripture or passage that has blessed you. Now look at it through New Testament eyes (if you’ve never done so before). Does it look different? Does it bless you even more? If so, please share. I’d love to be enlightened with you!
God's Word Girl 