Simple Words

At the grocery store this morning, I met a kind gentleman who made my day.  He didn't do anything extraordinary but the small thing that he did just spoke right to my heart and encouraged me.  He was a city bus driver just dropping in to get a quick bite to eat for the road.  He looked familiar, perhaps I'd waited on him before during my cashiering days.  I don't know.  He looked down at my baby in his car seat in my cart and said "God Bless You" to him with a big smile on his face.  Then, as I was leaving the store, he said it again and smiled.  While in the parking lot, he drove by in his bus and waved with yet another big smile on his face.  Nothing major, right?  Don't we say the same thing to people?

Yet, his simple gesture ministered to my soul.  There was just something about him, he seemed so genuine, almost like he knew me.  I half wondered if he could've been an angel, perhaps.  But, if he wasn't, he sure was in the right place at the right time.  His simple words reminded me that God sees me right where I am, even in my everyday errands.  I've had something on my mind for a very long time, a battle that I'm fighting.  Sometimes, you do start to wonder if God really does see you in your situation.  Of course He does, we all know that, right?  But, this kind of brought it right home to me.  God knew I needed a little bit of face-to-face encouragement so He sent this man my way, whoever he was.

God is going to bring me through.  I may not know how or when, but He's going to do it, I can put my trust in Him.  When you've done all you can-stand.  Stand in your faith and keep on believing.  Don't look at the storm or situation that has clouded your life, but look to Jesus-He is our answer.  Keep focused on Him. And while you're waiting-keep running the race.  He will always make a way, right in the nick of time.  In HIS time. Don't quit!  Don't let this storm cloud steer you off course.  Don't let the enemy rob you of your victory-you are SO close!  Keep focused on the goal.  Keep on praising Him and putting your hand to the work.  Give your situation to Him, just lay it at His feet and know that He is working behind the scenes, He is preparing the way.  Though you may not see it with your eyes, He IS working.  If it's your desire to serve God, just dig into God's word and prayer and  He'll give you strength to keep on going and a peace right in the midst of it all. Just rest in Him.  He'll carry you through.  And when all is said and done, He will be glorified through it.  You'll have a testimony to share with someone else and maybe they'll look to Christ for their help, too. Just keep holding onto his hand and never let go-hold on tight.  Even if you have to close your eyes, keep holding on tight because He WILL bring you through to the other side, to victory! God Bless YOU today. 

 

 

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.