Building an Ark vs Building a Canoe

Romans 8:28 New Living Translation (NLT)

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 New Living Translation (NLT)

6 So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Have you ever been called to do something that you feel like you weren’t created to do?  I recently finished a book by a dear new friend of mine, Billie Jauss, “Making Room - Doing Less So God Can Do More”.  She mentions how Noah was asked to build an ark.  He did as he was told.  Followed it the directions to the very last cubit.  When asked to build the ark, Noah didn’t turn around and say, “God that sounds overwhelming.  I think I will just build a canoe.  That should be good enough for my family.”  Out of faith he built the ark.

Faith is taking a step even when you don’t know how to take it or how the next step will even happen.  When running the other morning, I came to a dark spot and couldn’t see the ground in front of me for a few yards.  I knew that the ground was there for my feet to land, but the visual of not being able to see while running was a little scary.  That is faith!  You have to have faith that as God puts the “life cards” in your hands, you will be able to play them as He sees fit.  He will provide what needs to be provided.  

If you find yourself in a situation in which you can’t figure out what the next move needs to be, take a moment and write down all of your thoughts and questions.  Lay those at His feet.  Let Him do the heavy lifting as you build the ark He has called you to build.  

Be Blessed!

Opposition...It happens

Opposition.  The definition is “the resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument”.  I’m currently doing a study titled “The Faithful: Heroes of the Old Testament”.  This week I was focused on the hero Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was on a mission to rebuild the wall that was leaving God’s people exposed to their enemies.  At first the task was seen as impossible.  However, they rebuilt it in 52 days, but it was not without opposition from their enemies.  In this process, we see that Nehemiah rides the rollercoaster of emotions: anger, frustration, fear, and belief.  

One of the questions asked in the study led me to reflect on oppositions that I have faced in my life.  The question was this, “How has knowing you were in the will of God helped you endure difficult opposition?”  Then the next question really stirred in my heart. “If you are currently experiencing opposition, list the reasons why you still know you’re on the right path.  Use scripture and confirmations the Lord has given you.”  

Very quickly I was thrown for a loop.  I have a something in my life that I continually keep myself in check as to whether or not it is in HIS will or in mine.  I sat and reflected on the reasons I felt I was on the right path, HIS path.  That part was easy.  But to back that up with scripture…I couldn’t right away.  I had to grab my journals and skim through to find scriptures that have been speaking to me over the past 6 months.  The following verses are what I found written:

Galatians 6:9 New Life Version (NLV)

9 Do not let yourselves get tired of doing good. If we do not give up, we will get what is coming to us at the right time.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 New Life Version (NLV)

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your strength. For there is no work or planning or learning or wisdom in the place of the dead where you are going.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 New Life Version (NLV)

3 There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven.

Hebrews 10:35-36 New Life Version (NLV)

35 Do not throw away your trust, for your reward will be great. 36 You must be willing to wait without giving up. After you have done what God wants you to do, God will give you what He promised you.

Hebrews 11:1 New Life Version (NLV)

11 Now faith is being sure we will get what we hope for. It is being sure of what we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:6b New Life Version (NLV)

6 …That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 New Life Version (NLV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope.

Ok, clearly I need to have faith.  Most of these verses correlate with my word for the year, “PERSEVERE”.  I’m on HIS path and I’m doing what is in His will.  The results I’m looking for are not coming as quickly as I had wanted (putting the emphasis on the “I”), but what HE is doing in the midst of the actions steps I’m taking is preparing my heart for the season which will provide great fruit.  

My question to you, what are the oppositions/obstacles you are facing in this season?  What scripture is guiding your next step?  Take time to really reflect on those questions.  

Be Blessed!

God Help Me - Plumb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wRpTySE_8A

Goal Getter

Galatians 5:16-18 The Message (MSG)

16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

Each year we set new goals as a family.  We sit down one night and just rattle off different things we want to do together as a family.  We write each one down individually on a post-it note and put it on our Family Goal board.  They can be things as simple as “Family Game Night” to “Carrie Underwood Legs” (Yeap, you can judge or chuckle, but that has been on the board for a couple of years now.)  However, this year I was led to look at this board a little differently.  The goals that I had been setting were self-driven goals.  They were nothing more than goals to achieve just to claim “I did it.”  Yes, many were accomplished, except the “Carrie Underwood Legs” (which is no longer one of my goals…LOL).   This year I decided to pray through 6 areas of my life and create God-driven goals.

My biggest question was this “How does God want to use me in 2019?”  In each area of my life, how can I honor Him.  The areas I focused on were as follows: faith, marriage, family, friends, health, and job.  I found a list of verses to go along with each area.  After a few days of spending my quiet time in the word with those verses, I began to form my 2019 goals.  I had no hesitation as I placed those goals on our family goal board.  Instead of “Carrie Underwood Legs”, I found myself placing goals such as “Complete a bible study with Mackenzie,” “A date with my mate” (that’s up there multiple times), “Complete 4 Bible Studies”…the list could go on.  2019 is going to be a year of growing in God’s grace and in His righteousness  I will be cultivating my relationship with Him so He can do His works in and through me. 

My question to you is this, are your goals sown in pursuit of righteousness.  Are they going to help reflect His everlasting light on the world around you?  Take a moment and reflect on your 2019 goals.  

1 Peter 1:15-16 The Message (MSG)

13-16 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God’s life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, “I am holy; you be holy.”

Be Blessed!

White as Snow

Isaiah 1:18 New Life Version (NLV)

18 “Come now, let us think about this together,” says the Lord. “Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are dark red, they will be like wool.

This past weekend the weather was perfect.  I grabbed ahold of the opportunity to go out and power wash our driveway.  I know that does not sound like the best way to spend a beautiful SW Florida day in January, but it needed to be done.  It took me over 5 hours.  At first, I used the attachment that had the brush.  It took several times running over a patch before it would be clean.  Even then there were still some spots.  After about the first 2 hours, I switched to another attachment that had a little more power, but took more time.  The gunk that was coming off of our seemingly somewhat dirty driveway was horrific.  It would take multiple times over certain spots to it clean.  As I was cleaning, I starting thinking of how I would have to do this again in another year.  Then it hit me.  I AM VERY MUCH LIKE MY DRIVEWAY!  I continually am covered in the “gunk” of life and have to be hosed down by God’s love daily, not yearly, but daily.  

1 John 1:9 New Life Version (NLV)

9 If we tell Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin.

I sat there and wondered how many times does He have to spray me down before I remain “white as snow”.  He has so much patience and grace with me.  He doesn’t care how long it takes or how often He has to go over my sins with a not just a pressure washer you purchase at Lowes, but a professional pressure washer.  

Isaiah 43:25 New Life Version (NLV)

25 “I, even I, am the One Who takes away your sins because of Who I am. And I will not remember your sins.

So regardless of what sins you have or how long you have carried those burdens, He will take them away and forget they ever happened.