Worship While I'm Waiting

Good Morning All-

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything you know to do but still the answer doesn't come?  Well, we've been having some great bible studies in church that deal with exactly that very thing.  Did you know that Abraham had to wait 29 years before God's promise to grant him a son from Sarah came to pass?  29 years!  Abraham was 70 years old when God promised him a son, and Sarah did not bear Isaac until he was 99!  The older this couple got, the more impossible it seemed that this promise would ever be fulfilled, right? I mean, a woman conceiving a child at that age?  Do you ever think he doubted?  He was human, wasn't he?  In our own lives, we hear a word from God and hold onto faith that our promise is on its way.  Sometimes our answer comes quickly, but sometimes we have to wait, and wait...and wait and our faith gets tested as well.  Does that mean God didn't hear our prayers because our answer is longer in coming?  No.  God has a perfect time for everything.  He is working behind the scenes to fulfill His promise.  Is faith based on what we see or in what we believe?  Sometimes we feel inadequate, and our faith stumbles, but we get up again.  Sometimes we try to "help" God along and conjure up a way to bring the answer to pass ourselves, but it's not what God had planned.  Many times, the situation can start to look even gets worse and looks even MORE impossible to our natural eyes.  But I tell you our God is a God of miracles.  He can do the impossible! The glory will go to God when your answer comes to pass, because it was impossible to man.  (Rom. 4:17-21)"(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father or many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." 
So, what did he do while he waited?  He obeyed God, he gave honor and praise to God and he trusted in the Lord.  As was said by one minister recently, "You can fear, wonder how, if and when, or you can LIVE in the promise and have yourself a little dance and say 'I will NOT have a funeral over this.  Laugh and say God is going to have the last laugh over this. You can give up or your can encourage yourself and run to God's promise. When the appointed time comes, God will come looking for you.
Sometimes, we try to fix things ourselves, instead of waiting for God to do it his way.  We usually get into more trouble this way, don't we.   We try to "hurry things along", but we don't realize that God was already working behind the scenes-already working things out for you.   "Great joy will come when it is fulfilled, though it make 29 years" (or longer for some).  "Though it looks impossible, though the vision tarry-wait for it.  Though it may seem God has forgotten, His promise is still good-keep your faith, fight for your faith.  God will make a path through the waters for you if you look not to the right or to the left." 
So, I want to encourage you today to hold onto your faith-keep trusting in God.  What he said he'd do, he WILL bring it to pass.  Whatever you're believing God for today, whether it be for a loved one to be saved, for a financial need, for God to have you work for Him, whatever you're believing God for-don't give up.  Praise Him while you're waiting-Victory comes through praise, right?  Work for God while you're waiting..Faith takes action, right? So, be obedient to His word, serve Him with all your heart.  Hold onto your faith and keep moving forward.  Don't give up.  He WILL bring it to pass.

     

My prayer

I am just so thankful today for all God has done for me and all He's doing in my life.  On the outside, it may not seem like a lot, but on the inside, He's working on me.  He works on us everyday to make us more and more like Him.  It's amazing how much He loves us and has so much patience and extends so much grace to us, isn't it.  When I think about the children of Israel and how much He loved them and provided for them, yet they kept letting Him down by not trusting in Him over and over again.  Yet, He never stopped loving them, did He....talk about longsuffering.  He loves us so much and wants so much for us and He's told us that His word will guide us and teach us His ways, but He will not go against our will.  We have to submit to His will, not our own.  We think we know what is best for our lives, when in reality we really don't.  It's when we totally  surrender to doing whatever He wants, whether we understand the why of it or not, that's when God will move.  He wants our hearts to be totally in love with Him, to trust Him with our whole lives.  We may not know or understand the reasons why things happen sometimes, but if we trust in Him and put our lives in His capable hands, He will always do what's best for us and one day we will understand that He really did know what He was doing.  It's when we try to take over ourselves and do things our way that we always get in trouble, isn't it-when we get stubborn and think we know best.
I'm so grateful for His grace and mercy that He's extended to me.  Like a good parent, he shows us what to do, but the choice is up to us to obey.  He watches and waits, hoping we'll make the right decisions...sometimes we do, sometimes we don't.  And when we don't and we come to Him and admit we've lost our way, He's always there to take us in His arms and love us and show us what to do.  Where would we be without the grace and mercy He's shown to each and every one of us.  Like the song says, "Where would I be, you only know..So glad you see through eyes of love...a hopeless case, an empty place if not for grace." 

This morning, this song is my prayer...This is really the heart's desire of every Christian, isn't it?  If you're having trouble or going through a situation today, I pray you'll make this your song-This is all that really matters in the end.  Not how materially successful you are or what position you hold in life, all that really matters is our relationship with God.  I want to be a help to someone else, to show them how much God loves them as everyday I'm learning more of the depths of His love for us and to just let Him use me somehow, however He sees fit to let others see that too.  God Bless you today.

     

Trust Him, He will bring you through

 

I'm so amazed today of God's faithfulness. He always comes right on time with a word, with help, with your answer.  He knows just how much you can handle and He always calms the storm just in time. So, have faith in God today.  Be encouraged, stand fast. Keep running the race no matter what comes to hinder you.  Find your strength, your shelter in Him.  He'll always come right when you need Him.We serve an awesome God today, don't we.  If you're facing a storm and you think it'll bring your end-stay strong.  Go to that hiding place and find shelter and strength in Him.  Find your rest in Him.  He will deliver you. Right on time.  Just wait and see. What a glorious day that will be.

God IS In Control

Yup, one of those times again...Something great happens, you're on cloud nine in celebrating God's awesome faithfulness to you and then...bam, something just hits you from out of nowhere and you find yourself struggling to believe, condemning yourself for your hypocrisy?  C'mon, I know I'm not the only one.  But isn't that the way it works, sometimes.  You make a decision,  step out on faith, do something for God, determined to go forward and let God use you and BAM...Satan comes to knock you back. Of course, isn't that like the enemy. He's got you saying, "how can you even call yourself a christian, you messed up again, what a poor example you are because you fell into the enemy's trap again.  You'll never do anything for God, you can't even overcome your own weakness."  Maybe it's anger, maybe it's lust, maybe it's pride, maybe it's impatience, everyone has their own private battles, their own Achille's heel that they're working to overcome and the devil knows just where to strike his arrow at us, doesn't he.  BUT, let me tell you that we still serve an awesome, mighty God.  Yes, the enemy may come to hinder you and your armor may get nicked a little, but he will NOT get through to harm you if you remember who you are in God!  Don't dwell in the self-condemnation that the devil throws on you.  Remember who you are!  You're a child of the King.  Yes, the enemy may rear his ugly head and try to frighten you by his display of power, but let me tell you something...our God is GREATER!  Our God is awesome and mightier than anything the enemy tries to throw at you-any temptation, any doubt, any fear...Our God is Greater!  Put your christian music on, dig out your Bible, just start praising Him and glorifying His name.  Read about His many promises to His children and know that  you ARE a child of God if you've dedicated your life to Him.  You're not perfect, no one is, we're all striving for perfection, we're not there yet.  He's the potter and He's still exposing the air bubbles in our vessel, purging us of our impurities so that we can be a beautiful vessel that He can use.  Isn't that what we all want?  So, just start praising God and you'll soon be encouraged and strengthened and you'll see that obstacle for what it really is, an attack of the devil to try to take you out!  To take you down.  Are you going to let Him?  NO!  Throw the word of God in his face.  "No weapon that's formed against you shall prosper." "I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging for bread." " God is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  Find your own promise scripture and claim it.  Remind the devil who's child you are and that he's not going to win.  He's not going to be able to touch you or your family, try as he may.  Angels are guarding you, you've got God fighting for you.  "If God be for us, who can be against us."  Put him in his place...under your feet and then STOMP on him!!!!  What a difference you will feel and you can go on praising God, knowing He is going to guide your path.  Trust HIM.  Don't give in to what you see going on around you or what it looks like.  Trust God to see you through and He will.  He's an amazing God. Start thinking about all the great things He's done for you...all the times He's answered your prayers when you thought there was no hope. He WILL do it again. You don't have to know how or when He'll do it...just trust Him.  He is a miracle-working God. You are an overcomer in Jesus.  Stir up your faith. This world may be heading down the wrong path, but don't you give in to your fears.  Be like Noah...even if you are the only person left, you stand.  Know what you know and don't let anything take you off course.  Go to church, worship God and let the word of God strengthen and encourage you.  He'll show you the way and He'll never let you down.  He loves you so much.  Sometimes we just need to trust in Him, no matter what and remember that God is in control.  So, Keep on fighting because we WIN!

   

Be Still

This morning as I watched the news as I do every morning, I started to feel so burdened down about the way this world is heading.  It seems all we hear about is fighting and anger and chaos.  It seems like things have gone so far downhill so fast recently.  I can't help but be reminded that God is coming soon.  Things are really starting to fall apart in this world as our nation has rejected God and calls it "equal rights for all".  A nation that rejects God will surely fall.  If we're not careful, we can get so caught up in the news of the turmoil of this world and forget that this is only our "temporary home".  We are only on this earth for a season. Yes, I am concerned about the things going on in our nation and across the world, but I believe that if we dwell on these things constantly, we'll only get angry and bitter and forget that God is preparing a better home for us.  That's the home we should be more concerned with.  As this world deteriorates more and more, we need to look to God more and more.  Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on the storm surrounding you.  Where is your faith today?  Yes, we try to stay informed as all citizens should so we can make wise decisions and  we certainly should exercise our rights that we're fortunate to still have in this country and stand for what is right and fight to keep God in America as long as possible.  I'm not saying we should isolate ourselves by any means or be ignorant.  What I'm saying is the more we see the end time approaching, the more we need to look up-look up to Heaven, look to God.  Our God is an awesome God. This world is just a foot stool to Him.  He has a plan that's been foretold in scripture and must come to pass, but if we keep our eyes on Him, we can have that hope that we will see Him one day face to face.  He loved this world so much that He suffered and gave His life for us before we were even born so that we could have a hope, so that we could have fellowship with Him and really know him personally.  He wants to be a friend to everyone of us, but we must believe that He is and humbly ask for forgiveness from our sin and lay our lives at His feet and ask Him to come into our hearts and make us more like Him. He'll take the burden that you carry and give you a new hope, a new life. The Bible says in John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life."  And when people truly understand all that Jesus sacrificed for us and how much God loves us, how can they not want to spend the rest of their lives showing Him how much they appreciate all He's done and sacrificed for us.  But, if they choose to reject Him...if our nation chooses to reject Him...God does not force Himself on anyone, He's given us a free will to choose for ourselves. He calls and He pleads with us, but it is still our choice to heed His call.  If we choose to ignore His voice and say "thanks but not thanks, I want to live the way I want, I don't need you", then we've made our choice to refuse God's love.  But if we turn to Him, with our whole hearts, He will keep us in this end day.  The time is truly short and God will one day say "it's time" and call his people home to be with Him.  So, let's keep our minds and hearts tuned into Jesus.  Keep our minds stayed on Him.  This world is lost and needs Jesus.  Let's redeem the time we have left and reach as many as we can with the gospel of Jesus Christ so they can have that same hope in Jesus that we do.  When things get rough and the battles come, and they will certainly still come, whether you're saved or unsaved, look to Jesus all the more...go to the word of God and get encouragement for your soul...sing a song throughout the day at work, keep joy in your heart in the midst of it all and most of all, stay on your knees, don't neglect your prayer time.  Keep in tune with God, heed His voice and keep that communication line open and just keep on praising Him.  He loves to hear the praises of His people.  Whatever you're going through, I encourage you to put your faith and trust in God-He WILL see you through.  Let your heart rest in Him and Be Still...

            

Continue On

                                                      CONTINUE ON 
        (by Roy Lessin, author of How to Be the Parents of Happy and Obedient Children)


                 A woman fretted over the usefulness of her life.
                 She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.
                 She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband
                      and children would make a difference.
                 At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did
                      seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated.
                "Is it worth it?" she often wondered.  "Is there something better that I could
                      be doing with my time?"
                  It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard
                      the still, small voice of her Heavenly Father speak to her heart.
                  You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be.
                  Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye, but I notice.
                  Much of what you give is done without remuneration.
                  But I am your reward.
                  Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be
                      without your support.
                  Your influence on him is greater than you think
                      and more powerful than you will ever know.
                   I bless him through your service and honor him through your love.
                   Your children are precious to me.
                   Even more precious than they are to you.
                   I have entrusted them to your care to raise for Me.
                   What you invest in them is an offering to Me.
                   You may never be in the public spotlight, but your obedience shines as a
                       bright light before Me.
                   Continue on.  Remember you are my servant.
                   Do all to please me.
                

Keeping Perspective

                                                                              LOVE
                                                                        by Jim Fowler


                       If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
                           but have not love--I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.
                      If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
                           but have not love--my children learn of cleanliness, not godliness.
                      Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.
                      Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
                      Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
                      Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.
                      Love is present through trials.
                      Love reprimands, reproves and is responsive.
                      As a mother there is much I must teach my child,
                           but the greatest of all is.......LOVE.


Good one to post somewhere in your house to remind yourself everyday of what's the most important thing we can give our kids, especially if you're having one of "those" days.