Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
When we are in Christ we may not always see what He is doing in our lives. We might seem to muddle along, day in, day out, not seeing His hand at work. This is where we must recall that He works all things according to His time schedule. He sets the stage, as it were.
I keep frustrating myself thinking that God isn't using me...there must be something wrong with me. Maybe there is and that in itself needs to be brought to the surface of my life and dealt with. Maybe I'm not hearing Him clearly enough. Maybe I am tuning Him out in fear of being stretched in a direction I don't feel I'm ready to go. But then it might not be any of those things.
We are told to wait upon the Lord. There are numerous scriptures that tell us this. One way or the other I believe my day will come. That day when His plan for my life will be revealed. On the other hand I could very well be in the midst of His plan even if I don't see it. I can recall time after time when I look back on my life where I can see God's hand was on me...even before I really knew who He was! One way or the other I need to be aware of His still, small voice and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I need to be aware of them!
He knows our thoughts, the number of our days, the troubles that have and those that will loom over us. We should not be surprised when He chooses to show us things. He is sovereign over all. Through His Word He created all things so why should we doubt Him.
Patience is not a virtue for me, I'm afraid. I'm with the drive through fast fooders when it comes to wanting it now. God just does not operate on a time schedule like we are. That goes right along with the thinking that Jesus should be able to be molded into our image to accommodate us. Oh, people, He just is not like that. We have gotten so wrapped up in what we want, when we want it when Jesus knows what we need when we need it. So let's be patient.
It might be that other circumstances in my life need to occur before He can work. I should be aware, however, that in even the mundane things of life, He will use or is using me. He might be waiting for that right instance to tell me this is the way, walk in this moment. Here's what I want you to do...and the power of the Holy Spirit will take over and whatever it is He requires of me will be known. It's then I have a choice...to do or not. Have I missed opportunities like this before? Probably. Why? Doubts or fears that stifle my ability. Wait, did I say MY ability? Ooooh, there's the problem. It's not me, it's God working through me.
I am starting to read a book called Radical by David Platt. It's about changing our course in how we view God, what we've made Him to be in our lives, probably because of what we've learned in the Church. How we have molded Him to suit our needs, softened His salvation message so that all people can come to Him whatever way they want, not pushing Jesus like the old time preachers did, and that many roads lead to Him. I might venture to say that "just knowing Him" without really knowing Him would be included in this list. As I heard this weekend, saying a quick 60 second prayer to receive Him just isn't enough.
Like Glenn Beck has talked about...getting back to our roots (in our country), Christians need to get back to their own roots in Christ. We need to realize Him as sovereign in this world. He has created all things. He knows exactly when to use us. I've been waiting a long time it seems. But maybe that's of my own doing.
I think we first need to realize who this Jesus is as He was long ago. We need to realize the power we have in Him. We need to shake what we might have allowed ourselves to understand...those untruths nestled in among and pushing out the real truths. We need to know the real Jesus. We need to turn around and pointedly ask Him once again to reveal the real Him to us. We just don't know Him as He should be known.....
His plan for us is the greater plan. Dismiss the old ideas and take a radical stance on knowing, obeying and doing for Him. It will cost us. I can't even imagine what that means. But we need to trust Him. He will take stuff from us but what He replaces it with, if we allow Him, will be greater than what we already have. He is more than enough. He gave His life for us; shouldn't we do more than just receive Him? We are called to do as He did. The narrow path we're to follow is getting narrower with people falling off on the left and right.
When we are in Christ we may not always see what He is doing in our lives. We might seem to muddle along, day in, day out, not seeing His hand at work. This is where we must recall that He works all things according to His time schedule. He sets the stage, as it were.
I keep frustrating myself thinking that God isn't using me...there must be something wrong with me. Maybe there is and that in itself needs to be brought to the surface of my life and dealt with. Maybe I'm not hearing Him clearly enough. Maybe I am tuning Him out in fear of being stretched in a direction I don't feel I'm ready to go. But then it might not be any of those things.
We are told to wait upon the Lord. There are numerous scriptures that tell us this. One way or the other I believe my day will come. That day when His plan for my life will be revealed. On the other hand I could very well be in the midst of His plan even if I don't see it. I can recall time after time when I look back on my life where I can see God's hand was on me...even before I really knew who He was! One way or the other I need to be aware of His still, small voice and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I need to be aware of them!
He knows our thoughts, the number of our days, the troubles that have and those that will loom over us. We should not be surprised when He chooses to show us things. He is sovereign over all. Through His Word He created all things so why should we doubt Him.
Patience is not a virtue for me, I'm afraid. I'm with the drive through fast fooders when it comes to wanting it now. God just does not operate on a time schedule like we are. That goes right along with the thinking that Jesus should be able to be molded into our image to accommodate us. Oh, people, He just is not like that. We have gotten so wrapped up in what we want, when we want it when Jesus knows what we need when we need it. So let's be patient.
It might be that other circumstances in my life need to occur before He can work. I should be aware, however, that in even the mundane things of life, He will use or is using me. He might be waiting for that right instance to tell me this is the way, walk in this moment. Here's what I want you to do...and the power of the Holy Spirit will take over and whatever it is He requires of me will be known. It's then I have a choice...to do or not. Have I missed opportunities like this before? Probably. Why? Doubts or fears that stifle my ability. Wait, did I say MY ability? Ooooh, there's the problem. It's not me, it's God working through me.
I am starting to read a book called Radical by David Platt. It's about changing our course in how we view God, what we've made Him to be in our lives, probably because of what we've learned in the Church. How we have molded Him to suit our needs, softened His salvation message so that all people can come to Him whatever way they want, not pushing Jesus like the old time preachers did, and that many roads lead to Him. I might venture to say that "just knowing Him" without really knowing Him would be included in this list. As I heard this weekend, saying a quick 60 second prayer to receive Him just isn't enough.
Like Glenn Beck has talked about...getting back to our roots (in our country), Christians need to get back to their own roots in Christ. We need to realize Him as sovereign in this world. He has created all things. He knows exactly when to use us. I've been waiting a long time it seems. But maybe that's of my own doing.
I think we first need to realize who this Jesus is as He was long ago. We need to realize the power we have in Him. We need to shake what we might have allowed ourselves to understand...those untruths nestled in among and pushing out the real truths. We need to know the real Jesus. We need to turn around and pointedly ask Him once again to reveal the real Him to us. We just don't know Him as He should be known.....
His plan for us is the greater plan. Dismiss the old ideas and take a radical stance on knowing, obeying and doing for Him. It will cost us. I can't even imagine what that means. But we need to trust Him. He will take stuff from us but what He replaces it with, if we allow Him, will be greater than what we already have. He is more than enough. He gave His life for us; shouldn't we do more than just receive Him? We are called to do as He did. The narrow path we're to follow is getting narrower with people falling off on the left and right.
The first step is trusting He's at work. Trusting that He is setting things into place right now and just waiting for a circumstance somewhere else to occur before sending me out. I hate to think I missed opportunities, but His mercies are new every morning. Let this morning, tomorrow morning and those to come be new days of waiting and trusting, then obeying should He call. He has everything I need and He will not withhold if I step out in faith and do what He requires.
Lord, you are more than enough for me. Let me realize that with everything that is within me your power over me. Let me trust, let me trust, let me trust. You ARE more than enough.
Philippians 4:19 - And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
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