Where Would I Go?

Did you ever want to run away from home when you were a child? Maybe even as an adult. I think most of us can remember at least one time in our life when we wanted to. When I was about eight years old I had gotten in trouble for something, I don't remember what, but I do remember that it made me angry enough to decide I was going to run away. I packed up as much of my belongings as I could and then I realized that I had no place to go so I unpacked everything and put it all away.

I lived with my grandma and she was the one who took care of me. She was the one who gave me a place to live, food when I was hungry, clothes, a warm bed, and lots of other extras out of love. When she wasn't treating me nice enough by my standards, I didn't trust her love for me and wanted to leave.

Life can be pretty disappointing sometimes and downright devastating at other times. When trials come we find ourselves grappling with our faith. No matter how deeply rooted in Christ we are, we all experience trials that stretch our faith so thin that we wonder if it will hold. These are the times when we face what we say we believe about God and His love for us, and have to come to terms with whether or not we really do believe.

When God allows a tragedy to happen to your child, the loss of your job, homelessness, a shattered dream, these are the times we question His love, His care, His provision. It's easy to say we trust God when things are going pretty well, but when trials come, that trust is put to the test. It is during the trials that we not only seek God for what He can do for us, but we strive to know and understand Him because of who He is. These are the times we are faced with the question Jesus asked His diciples in John 6:67-68.

Then Jesus said..., “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. John 6:67-68

Questioning God isn't a sin when we take our questions to Him, it is a stretching of faith. God doesn't frown on us when we bring our doubts about His character and His purposes to Him. He knows that we will have doubts, and He allows us to experience trials so that we will question Him. Then He shows us His love at a greater level, teaches us deeper truths about Himself, and strengthens our faith in Him. We may not understand, but we can choose to trust God and keep walking with Him.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct[a] your paths. proverbs 3:5-6

 join me at Titus 2 in Action today.

"A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!" ...Maya Angelou

Take Risks - Trust Jesus

A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!

Life Without the Safety Net

I'm a planner. I don't like taking risks. I like to see what's in front of me so that I can make the best decisions possible for the circumstances. I like to be prepared.

We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

About a year and half to two years ago I began to realize that I was living the safe life and not the Faith life. Faith is proved by living it out, not just saying it. Oh sure I didn't leave God when the going got tough. Where would I go?

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:67-69

Believing that Jesus is LORD is faith, it is saving faith. But we aren't supposed to stop there. We must continue to work out and grow our faith throughout our lives. Faith is trusting God. He promises to guide us at all times. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. Now either I believe that or I don't.

The bottom line is, faith requires taking risks and I couldn't honestly say that I was doing that. I began to ask God to make me a risk taker. He answered and told me to step off the cliff and trust that His unseen Hand would hold me up. I obeyed and began to live without the safety net. I prayed that I would always live without the safety net and He has answered.

I loved this new freedom that I had. It was exciting. It was living life to the full. Now I have to confess that I'm getting scared. Fear is not faith, it is doubt. He has never failed me so why do I doubt Him now!? I keep looking for the safety net and when I don't see it I get scared. I need to focus on Jesus and trust Him to hold me, not on the safety net. The mighty Hand of God is far more secure than any safety net ever was or ever will be.

Oh Lord please forgive me for not trusting you in these circumstances. I love you with all my heart and want more than anything to please you, to live a life in absolute, whole-hearted faith. Please help me to stop looking for the safety net and to trust you to guide me in these circumstances. Please calm my anxious heart and increase my faith. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen

What is your safety net?

A girl needs to be so lost in God, that the guy is going to have to seek HIM to find her!

Committed or Submitted

I was reading a friend's blog and he brought up a discussion on being committed to Christ vs being submitted to Christ. He asked if one could be committed to Christ without being submitted to Him. Well this got me thinking and I decided to see what the definitions of these words actually were.

Most of the definitions for "commit" show that we generally commit (to) someTHING; an action, idea, thought, position, or belief. Even #1 & #5 below refer to entrusting but with no responsibility from the one who is doing the entrusting.

Commit:

1. to give in trust or charge; consign.

2. to consign for preservation: to commit ideas to writing; to commit a poem to memory.

3. to pledge (oneself) to a position on an issue or question; express (one's intention, feeling, etc.): Asked if he was a candidate, he refused to commit himself.

4. to bind or obligate, as by pledge or assurance; pledge: to commit oneself to a promise; to be committed to a course of action.

5. to entrust, esp. for safekeeping; commend: to commit one's soul to God.

6. to do; perform; perpetrate: to commit murder; to commit an error.

7. to consign to custody: to commit a delinquent to a reformatory.

8. to place in a mental institution or hospital by or as if by legal authority: He was committed on the certificate of two psychiatrists.

9. to deliver for treatment, disposal, etc.; relegate: to commit a manuscript to the flames.

10. to send into a battle: The commander has committed all his troops to the front lines.

11. Parliamentary Procedure. to refer (a bill or the like) to a committee for consideration. –verb (used without object)

12. to pledge or engage oneself: an athlete who commits to the highest standards.

The definitions for "submit" show that we submit to someONE. We yield to the authority, power, treatment, influence, or approval of another.

Submit:
1. to give over or yield to the power or authority of another (often used reflexively).
2. to subject to some kind of treatment or influence.
3. to present for the approval, consideration, or decision of another or others: to submit a plan; to submit an application.
4. to state or urge with deference; suggest or propose (usually fol. by a clause): I submit that full proof should be required. –verb (used without object)
5. to yield oneself to the power or authority of another: to submit to a conqueror.
6. to allow oneself to be subjected to some kind of treatment: to submit to chemotherapy.
7. to defer to another's judgment, opinion, decision, etc.: I submit to your superior judgment.

I think that often we have a misconception of the definitions and are committed to the things of Christ without being submitted to His authority over our lives. I'm working on being more fully submitted. What about you? Are you more committed than submitted?

A Place to Start

The economy is affecting all of us these days and we don't know even if it will improve or get worse. It will do one or the other because nothing ever stays the same. Nothing except God that is. I have noticed that there is one scripture that God always brings me back to whenever I need to refocus. It seems to be the starting point of all circumstances in my walk with Christ.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

I love that so often in scripture we find a command and a promise bundled together. I have also come to realize that it is much easier, and quite common to focus on the promise (God's part) more than the act of obedience (my part). God gives the promise, in part to motivate us into obedience. One thing this scripture is saying is that I need to focus my attention on my part (acting in obedience), and let Him focus on His part (fullfulling His promise).

My part: Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
is a requirement in order for...
His part: Provide all that I need.
to be fullfilled.


Here is a copy of a daily devotion from Charles Spurgeon on this scripture:

God First, Then Extras

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

See how the Bible opens: "In the beginning God." Let your life open in the same way. Seek with your whole soul, first and foremost, the kingdom of God, as the place of your citizenship, and His righteousness as the character of your life. As for the rest, it will come from the Lord Himself without your being anxious concerning it. All that is needful for this life and godliness "shall be added unto you."

What a promise this is! Food, raiment, home, and so forth, God undertakes to add to you while you seek Him. You mind His business, and He will mind yours. If you want paper and string, you get them given in when you buy more important goods; and just so all that we need of earthly things we shall have thrown in with the kingdom. He who is an heir of salvation shall not die of starvation; and he who clothes his soul with the righteousness of God cannot be left of the Lord with a naked body. Away with carking care. Set all your mind upon seeking the Lord.

Covetousness is poverty, and anxiety is misery: trust in God is an estate, and likeness of God is a heavenly inheritance. Lord, I seek Thee; be found of me.

Out on a Limb ... er, um... Post

Today I'm joining 'B' at B His Girl for her Turtle Tuesdays. I'm a little late but hey, most people who participate in my Friday RQ, post in the days following, so I figure I'm in good company. I 'met' B when she joined our blog makeover contest and I'm so thrilled that I did. From my first visit to her blog I knew that it was by divine appointment. (Of course I think I can say that about all of my close blogging buddies!) I am always encouraged when I stop by B's blog. Be sure to pay her a visit, you'll be glad you did.

Ever feel like this little turtle, stranded at the top of the fence post? When I saw this picture my heart went out to this little turtle! Unless someone comes to rescue her she will surely fall or die. Either way, it appears that disaster awaits her. No matter how much she paddles those little legs she cannot help herself in this situation. She cannot change her circumstances on her own. She cannot provide for herself. If she panics she will start paddling those little legs as fast as possible and knock herself right off of her safe little spot on that post. She is completely dependent on someone else helping her. By the same token, No one looks at the turtle and thinks she put herself there. Quite the contrary. The turtle was placed there. And it is WAY obvious.

I realized that this is a perfect picture of where I'm at in my life right now. I have had to fend off feelings of being stranded in a place where I have no power to do anything. This is a scary place to be but it is exactly where God has placed me. It is even the adventure I prayed He would give me. Of course I didn't know it looked quite like this but that's ok. Like that little turtle, I have to trust that the One who put me there is keeping His eye on me and will show me the next step at the right time. I can't see what He is doing or how in the world He will work this out. At times it looks hopeless but that is only when I stop looking at Him. This is what it means to walk (and wait) in Faith. To Trust that He means what He says. It is an Adventure and I want my life to be an Adventure with my God.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you
nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. (Psalm 9:10)

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, " I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," (Hebrews 13:5)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Dear Lord I praise you for your unfailing Love. Thank you for giving me the courage to take this adventure with you. Thank you that you have not left me stranded. Thank you that you will never leave me, forsake me, or desert me. You are my God. I Trust you with all that is within me. I will follow wherever you lead and do whatever you say. Show me the next step. I love you my Lord, much more than words can ever express. In Christ - Amen

Bumping into Walls

So often these days my life has felt as though I am walking through a maze in the dark. There are lots of pathways to choose between but there is only one path. It's dark so I can't use sight to find my way. I've never traveled the path so nothing is familiar to me. Sometimes it seems that no matter which way I turn, I keep bumping into walls. It can be confusing and frustrating. I just want to find the openings. I want to walk straight to my destination without the obstacles, without bumping into walls!

I was thinking about this a few days ago, trying to make sense of things and the next day God spoke a word of encouragement to me through Spurgeon's daily devotion: "Sometimes their way seems to be a labyrinth, and they cannot imagine how they are to escape ... What they do not know, their LORD knows. He knows whom to deliver, and when to deliver, and how to deliver. He delivers in the way which is most beneficial to the godly..." A treasure hidden in the darkness just as He has promised.

Because I cannot see, I must put all my faith in my God. I must trust that He will do what He promises; lead me, light my path, and make the crooked places straight. As I thought about what God was speaking to me through the words in that devotion, it struck me that a labyrinth is not actually a maze. It is one straight path. Yes it curves, but there are no openings that lead one to bump into walls. He will make the crooked places straight.

O Lord help me to trust you, to not grow impatient and irritable but to walk where you lead remembering that you really do know the way.

Listening to the Whispers ... again

In these last few weeks God has been chasing me around with as much encouragement as possible and I have been somewhat stubborn about accepting it. I have been struggling so with my own questions and doubts about what He has said to me. "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay." (Habakuk 2:3) His definition of the word "delay" and mine are quite different. But He has reminded me that the vision originated in Him and will be brought about by Him.

Thankfully He has been pursuing me with reminders of His perfect timing, His plans, His active involvement in bringing fulfillment of His plans on His schedule. (I guess it's not about me.) He has reminded me that, like with Philip and the Ethiopian, He always goes ahead of me, He is the one who orchestrates the circumstances, and He arranges the events in accordance with His perfect timing. He has also been impressing on me His command to have faith like that of a child. Last night I got it. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." (Psalm 62:6) This was the basis for my P31 devotional yesterday. It began with "Children anticipate everything.......... Yes they await good things with expectancy." I am so glad that we have a God who is persistent and will not give up on this stubborn one.

Lord help me to hear You throughout my days. Let me be sensitive to the thoughts and ideas You bring to my mind, the scriptures you place before me, and the words you chase me around with. I will believe what You say. I will trust Your plans. I will wait expectantly.

The God Who Hears

For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out." (Ezekiel 34:11)

Have you ever prayed for someone for a very long time and felt like your prayers weren't even hitting the ceiling? As far as you could see nothing was happening, no results at all to indicate that God had ever heard even one of those prayers. Have you ever reached a point where you were about to give up hope of that prayer being answered? I have. Thankfully, He won't let us give up on that person, that situation, that prayer. Because He was the One who placed them in our heart to begin with. He is seeking them through us and our prayers. He has invited us take part in the work that He Himself is doing. This was the encouragement I found today in Spurgeon's Daily Devotional. "He has sought out us: let us have good hope for those who are laid upon our hearts in prayer, for He will find them out also." The heart of man is stubborn but God is always in control, always orchestrating the circumstances to accomplish His purposes. I will not lose heart. I will persevere in prayer.