Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Happy
I am so happy. God is so good. I lost sight of His goodness and all that He is because I was focused on things not Him. His love is so amazing that He did not force me to see the world as He sees it. He just waited patiently until I was ready to listen. No one loves like He does. He heals, He renews, He loves and I am thankful for the life He has given me.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Following the pillar/Lost in Transition
This is an excerpt from Humbly Submitting to Change. I hope it inspires you.
Following the Pillar
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
As we hear His voice and commune with Him, God builds our faith in Him. How much easier it is to handle the pains of life, when we know that it is for our good. Thank God there is a plan for our suffering! We are counted worthy to be used by God. So, we should embrace God’s way and continue to denounce our ways so that we can be led to the presence of God. “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
Wherever the presence of God went, that is where the children of Israel journeyed. They did not have to go far to find Him, all they had to do was look up. God was with them as a pillar of a cloud, and as a pillar of fire (the feet of their Deliverer). (Revelations 10:1) Regardless if it was one day or two years, whenever the cloud rested or moved, Israel packed up all there belongings and faithfully journeyed to their next destination. If they took their focus off of the pillar that was covering the tabernacle, they would have been lost in the wilderness.
We do not have a cloud to look up to for direction, but we do have God’s spirit inside of us, that desires to guide our lives in the way that we are to go. It is easy to follow the Spirit when we are comfortable with where He is taking us. Will we truly follow the Spirit when it seems like we are being led to certain disaster? Will we look at our circumstances as too great for us to overcome them? When the spies came back with a mixed report about their Promise Land, Israel reached a crossroads; ultimately, they refused to listen to Caleb’s report. Israel, as a result, wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Will we trust God’s guidance so that we can possess the land He has prepared for us? When we become fearful and insecure of God’s direction we become lost in transition.
LOST IN TRANSITION
Many times we reach the brink of disaster because we are ignorant to our next step in God. We have seen glimpses of change occur in our lives and we have reached the summit of mountaintops that, before entering the wilderness, we could have never imagined climbing. God has not only prospered us to walk on the mountaintops of life, but he has also safely guided us through the valleys. God has empowered us to succeed in the things that He has purposed in our lives. After we have accomplished our divine assignments, what do we do next? We have indulged ourselves in our assignments so much, that we know them inside and out. We have taken dominion over our task and have left no stones unturned. We have seen God’s power destroy our enemies and deliver us in times of famine. The question, however, becomes redundant in our minds. What do we do now?
In this state of uncertainty, our lives have to be submitted back into the hands of our Maker. We have been molded to fulfill our divine assignment, but now we must surrender our defined structure to become clay again. We now must be molded again to climb to the top of our next mountaintop.
Yes, we have become skilled in our fields of expertise, but what we have learned can not help us to prosper in where God is about to take us. Many of us have grown so comfortable in ourselves that we are fearful to subject ourselves back to the feeling of uncertainty that the molding process brings. This crossroads is a dangerous place to be. If we decide reject God’s guidance and stay in our comfortable positions, we will lose the surety of God’s presence and His promises. We will never reach satisfaction with just our accomplishments without losing the closeness we have with our God. Regardless of how many battles we have gone through, there is always a greater assignment on the horizon. When we are satisfied with our success, in hindsight, we lose sight of God, and our lives are then defined by us, not God. We are then, in part, lost in transition; we are fearful of “losing it all,” but are unaware that we have already lost the way to His presence.
We then begin to wander in a state of dryness, looking for the closeness that we thought we once had with God. We deceive ourselves, believing that God is still working on our behalf, and begin to carry out assignments that were not even given to us. In reality, our Teacher has moved on, but we are still stuck in our comfortable state. If we don’t humble ourselves to the instructions of our God, we risk failing our course.
One of the greatest examples of being “lost in transition,” is Elijah. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” (I Kings 17:1) The prophet Elijah received a word from God to boldly speak a word to King Ahab. He then adhered to God’s guidance and traveled to a brook where God commanded the ravens to bring Elijah bread. Elijah’s next destination was to the house of the widow of Zarephath; there, God sustained him, the widow and the widow’s son during the famine, until the fulfillment of his divine assignment. While waiting for instruction, Elijah witnessed the power of God revive the widow’s son from death. It was, however, merely a stepping stone in comparison to what God was about to do through him.
In the fullness of time, God led Elijah back into the presence of King Ahab and the children of Israel. God had prepared Elijah for the great and victorious demonstration at Mount Carmel. He was so confident in God’s Word, that he mocked the evil prophets of Baal and challenged them to prove their god. Much to the king and the people’s surprise, God sent fire from Heaven and the children of Israel humbled themselves before God and killed the prophets of Baal. Nonetheless, Elijah’s assignment was not complete; the rain still had not come. It wasn’t until he traveled to the top of Mount Carmel that Elijah saw the fulfilling of his divine assignment. (I Kings 18:42-44)
In spite of Elijah seeing the cloud approach the mountain, he did not have the opportunity to bask in the glory of witnessing the completion of God’s assignment; the hand of the Lord led him down that mountain faster than King Ahab’s chariot. (I Kings 18:45-46)
Elijah, led to the bottom of the mountain by the hand of God, felt uncertain of what was next.
“Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (I Kings 19:2-4)
Elijah became fearful for his life when he heard that Jezebel wanted to kill him. He was unsure if God was going to let her, so he fled to the wilderness. He had done all that he was instructed to do and felt that, in his own eyes, his purpose was complete. He had been faithful to all that God gave him to do, but he was ignorant to what was next for him. Just like Elijah, we tell God that what we have done for Him is enough. We have labored hard and completed our course, so why can’t we just rest? We have done all that He has asked us to do but our actions still seem to lead us to death.
“And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” (I Kings 19:5)
In our low point, God instructs us to arise and eat. When we have fallen unclear of where God is leading us, we must arise from feeling sorry for ourselves and eat of the Word of God. “And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” (I Kings 19:7) The journey is too great for us if we do not listen to the Spirit of God. We must arise from ourselves and eat God’s Word or we will remain lost. The Word of God will sustain us until we are placed back into the presence of God.
“And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:8-9)
What doest thou here? God words are so precise. He is asking us, why are we lost? God has not hid His presence from us; actually, it is us who has lost our faith and trust in Him and have surrendered ourselves to our fears. We have left His presence. We want to complain about what others are doing to us and how our surrounding circumstances seem to be leading us astray, but like Elijah, we can not answer God’s question.
“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (I Kings 19:10)
Why are we lost? God had not forsaken Elijah and He will not forsake us either. We must, however, surrender ourselves to God and not to our assignments.
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:11-13)
If we ignore His still small voice and are fearful of the earthquake, the strong winds and the fire, we will miss out on the great move of God that He has prepared for us. Though Elijah only saw disarray, God was constructing greatness on behalf of His servant. God has no time to comfort our pity parties; He only wants to instruct us on what our next assignment will be. How wonderful it is to know that God has a great work for us to still accomplish!
“And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:15-18)
In Elijah’s case, his next assignment led him to anoint kings, teach his successor, and reach his divine destination – Heaven. When we humbly submit ourselves to change, God has the ability to redefine us for His purpose. Although God’s guidance may take us through many ups and downs, when we stay fastened to His presence and heed to His instructions, we will receive great enjoyment and excitement on the way to our divine destination.
Following the Pillar
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
As we hear His voice and commune with Him, God builds our faith in Him. How much easier it is to handle the pains of life, when we know that it is for our good. Thank God there is a plan for our suffering! We are counted worthy to be used by God. So, we should embrace God’s way and continue to denounce our ways so that we can be led to the presence of God. “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)
Wherever the presence of God went, that is where the children of Israel journeyed. They did not have to go far to find Him, all they had to do was look up. God was with them as a pillar of a cloud, and as a pillar of fire (the feet of their Deliverer). (Revelations 10:1) Regardless if it was one day or two years, whenever the cloud rested or moved, Israel packed up all there belongings and faithfully journeyed to their next destination. If they took their focus off of the pillar that was covering the tabernacle, they would have been lost in the wilderness.
We do not have a cloud to look up to for direction, but we do have God’s spirit inside of us, that desires to guide our lives in the way that we are to go. It is easy to follow the Spirit when we are comfortable with where He is taking us. Will we truly follow the Spirit when it seems like we are being led to certain disaster? Will we look at our circumstances as too great for us to overcome them? When the spies came back with a mixed report about their Promise Land, Israel reached a crossroads; ultimately, they refused to listen to Caleb’s report. Israel, as a result, wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Will we trust God’s guidance so that we can possess the land He has prepared for us? When we become fearful and insecure of God’s direction we become lost in transition.
LOST IN TRANSITION
Many times we reach the brink of disaster because we are ignorant to our next step in God. We have seen glimpses of change occur in our lives and we have reached the summit of mountaintops that, before entering the wilderness, we could have never imagined climbing. God has not only prospered us to walk on the mountaintops of life, but he has also safely guided us through the valleys. God has empowered us to succeed in the things that He has purposed in our lives. After we have accomplished our divine assignments, what do we do next? We have indulged ourselves in our assignments so much, that we know them inside and out. We have taken dominion over our task and have left no stones unturned. We have seen God’s power destroy our enemies and deliver us in times of famine. The question, however, becomes redundant in our minds. What do we do now?
In this state of uncertainty, our lives have to be submitted back into the hands of our Maker. We have been molded to fulfill our divine assignment, but now we must surrender our defined structure to become clay again. We now must be molded again to climb to the top of our next mountaintop.
Yes, we have become skilled in our fields of expertise, but what we have learned can not help us to prosper in where God is about to take us. Many of us have grown so comfortable in ourselves that we are fearful to subject ourselves back to the feeling of uncertainty that the molding process brings. This crossroads is a dangerous place to be. If we decide reject God’s guidance and stay in our comfortable positions, we will lose the surety of God’s presence and His promises. We will never reach satisfaction with just our accomplishments without losing the closeness we have with our God. Regardless of how many battles we have gone through, there is always a greater assignment on the horizon. When we are satisfied with our success, in hindsight, we lose sight of God, and our lives are then defined by us, not God. We are then, in part, lost in transition; we are fearful of “losing it all,” but are unaware that we have already lost the way to His presence.
We then begin to wander in a state of dryness, looking for the closeness that we thought we once had with God. We deceive ourselves, believing that God is still working on our behalf, and begin to carry out assignments that were not even given to us. In reality, our Teacher has moved on, but we are still stuck in our comfortable state. If we don’t humble ourselves to the instructions of our God, we risk failing our course.
One of the greatest examples of being “lost in transition,” is Elijah. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” (I Kings 17:1) The prophet Elijah received a word from God to boldly speak a word to King Ahab. He then adhered to God’s guidance and traveled to a brook where God commanded the ravens to bring Elijah bread. Elijah’s next destination was to the house of the widow of Zarephath; there, God sustained him, the widow and the widow’s son during the famine, until the fulfillment of his divine assignment. While waiting for instruction, Elijah witnessed the power of God revive the widow’s son from death. It was, however, merely a stepping stone in comparison to what God was about to do through him.
In the fullness of time, God led Elijah back into the presence of King Ahab and the children of Israel. God had prepared Elijah for the great and victorious demonstration at Mount Carmel. He was so confident in God’s Word, that he mocked the evil prophets of Baal and challenged them to prove their god. Much to the king and the people’s surprise, God sent fire from Heaven and the children of Israel humbled themselves before God and killed the prophets of Baal. Nonetheless, Elijah’s assignment was not complete; the rain still had not come. It wasn’t until he traveled to the top of Mount Carmel that Elijah saw the fulfilling of his divine assignment. (I Kings 18:42-44)
In spite of Elijah seeing the cloud approach the mountain, he did not have the opportunity to bask in the glory of witnessing the completion of God’s assignment; the hand of the Lord led him down that mountain faster than King Ahab’s chariot. (I Kings 18:45-46)
Elijah, led to the bottom of the mountain by the hand of God, felt uncertain of what was next.
“Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (I Kings 19:2-4)
Elijah became fearful for his life when he heard that Jezebel wanted to kill him. He was unsure if God was going to let her, so he fled to the wilderness. He had done all that he was instructed to do and felt that, in his own eyes, his purpose was complete. He had been faithful to all that God gave him to do, but he was ignorant to what was next for him. Just like Elijah, we tell God that what we have done for Him is enough. We have labored hard and completed our course, so why can’t we just rest? We have done all that He has asked us to do but our actions still seem to lead us to death.
“And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.” (I Kings 19:5)
In our low point, God instructs us to arise and eat. When we have fallen unclear of where God is leading us, we must arise from feeling sorry for ourselves and eat of the Word of God. “And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.” (I Kings 19:7) The journey is too great for us if we do not listen to the Spirit of God. We must arise from ourselves and eat God’s Word or we will remain lost. The Word of God will sustain us until we are placed back into the presence of God.
“And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:8-9)
What doest thou here? God words are so precise. He is asking us, why are we lost? God has not hid His presence from us; actually, it is us who has lost our faith and trust in Him and have surrendered ourselves to our fears. We have left His presence. We want to complain about what others are doing to us and how our surrounding circumstances seem to be leading us astray, but like Elijah, we can not answer God’s question.
“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” (I Kings 19:10)
Why are we lost? God had not forsaken Elijah and He will not forsake us either. We must, however, surrender ourselves to God and not to our assignments.
“And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:11-13)
If we ignore His still small voice and are fearful of the earthquake, the strong winds and the fire, we will miss out on the great move of God that He has prepared for us. Though Elijah only saw disarray, God was constructing greatness on behalf of His servant. God has no time to comfort our pity parties; He only wants to instruct us on what our next assignment will be. How wonderful it is to know that God has a great work for us to still accomplish!
“And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:15-18)
In Elijah’s case, his next assignment led him to anoint kings, teach his successor, and reach his divine destination – Heaven. When we humbly submit ourselves to change, God has the ability to redefine us for His purpose. Although God’s guidance may take us through many ups and downs, when we stay fastened to His presence and heed to His instructions, we will receive great enjoyment and excitement on the way to our divine destination.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Jesus at a well
Today my heart was reflecting on when Jesus was at the well in Samaria. He traveled through a desert not because he had to but because he chose to. There was a meeting to take place not on His terms but on other person's terms. He meet the Samaritan woman where she was. He endured hardship so that He could give her what she needed.
What came to mind today was that a lot of times when you really want to help someone. You can't meet them on your terms. You can't expect them to come to you. You have to go to them you have to sacrifice your conveniences so that their needs can be met.
The question is how bad do you really want to impact the lives of others? Are you willing to suffer hardship and criticism for the sake of bring hope to one person? Some times I lose perspective of others and get frustrated at my circumstances but when I think about the lives of others and what I can do to help them, I am inspired. The journey is worth it when you see that what you possess can meet the needs of others.
The Samaritan woman become so inspired by her meeting with Jesus that she was the first witness to her people. Though she was forgotten by man she was valued by God.
What came to mind today was that a lot of times when you really want to help someone. You can't meet them on your terms. You can't expect them to come to you. You have to go to them you have to sacrifice your conveniences so that their needs can be met.
The question is how bad do you really want to impact the lives of others? Are you willing to suffer hardship and criticism for the sake of bring hope to one person? Some times I lose perspective of others and get frustrated at my circumstances but when I think about the lives of others and what I can do to help them, I am inspired. The journey is worth it when you see that what you possess can meet the needs of others.
The Samaritan woman become so inspired by her meeting with Jesus that she was the first witness to her people. Though she was forgotten by man she was valued by God.
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