2 Timothy 1:12

” for which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day.”

During those time when I fell overwhelmed and it feels like I might lose, this scripture comes to mind.

I trust the God who knows me and loves me better that I can love myself.

I remember everything that I have placed in his hands for safe keeping. And I am comforted.

The enemy cannot do anything in my life without first getting God’s permission. That means if I am dealing with tough situations it is only because God knows that I am equipped to handle it. And I am comforted.

My prayer is that this scripture comforts you as well.

Romans 11:33

” O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

It is so good to know that God knows me better than I know myself. I am grateful to know that his plans for me are far greater than I can imagine. More than that, I am grateful that I do not know the details of his plans for me.

It is enough to understand a small part of the plan. That small part is enough to stand on in faith.

Think about creation. God said “let there be…” and it was. And still is to this day. The word of God is that powerful. God does the same with us. He gives us enough vision and enough Word to stand on. As we walk in his plan he reveals little by little so we can continue to grown and flourish in his will. This is called walking in obedience.

Some people wonder why they struggle to stand in faith. We have struggles when we try to run away from God’s plan for us. Or when we try to work our own agenda instead of his.

We must have a heart after God. A willingness to be obedient to his call. Just as Christ said in the garden of Gethsemane, “nevertheless not my will but thine be done.” This is more than just a phrase, this is an attitude of gratefulness.

Our flesh does no want to submit to God. But our spirit does. We must be willing to allow our plans to take a backseat to God’s purpose for our lives. We must have that “nevertheless” attitude.

But take heart – God is loving and understanding our desire to accomplish and achieve. As we submit to him, he finds a way to also give us the desires of our heart. This is the true definition of “win-win” situation. Ultimately, submitting to God’s will is the path that will also leads us to accomplishing our personal goals.

This is why I am standing in a place of gratefulness today.

I have had my times of disobedience. But God has been faithful to receive me back into his grace once I repented.

Now my goal is to step off the disobedience cycle (we all have been there at one time or another). It is time to adopt the ” nevertheless” attitude and submit to God’s plan and purpose for me. God knows exactly what he is doing, even if we don’t understand it.

Let us all stand in the place of gratefulness and witness the glory of God.

Psalms 61:1-3

“1. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.“

It is a great blessing to know that I am not in this thing (called life) alone. Hebrews the 4 chapter tells us that the God we serve understands what it is like to live in this fleshy body. He understands our ups and downs, our hurts, pains, victories and failures. He even understands our temptations.

God understands us so much so that he encourages us to come to him and pour out our burdens on him. He understood that we would need to be able to go to someone and just be transparent. Someone who would listen and then bear the burden for us. In Matthew 11:28, God told us to come to him so he can give us rest. We are invited to exchange our load with him for rest.

So the question is, when did we decide that God was not enough?

Instead of going to God, in confidence and gaining complete confidentiality. Being able to share any and every thing with him without the worry of our foes knowing our business. Instead we want a friend with whom we can talk. That same friend also has a friend that they trust to keep secrets – including yours.

God is a shelter from the storms of life. He loves you and cares about everything concerning you. Even those things we are sometimes embarrassed to share with him. Understand that God already knows your business. But when we love him and trust him enough to talk about those things, it pleases God.

Realize that God is enough.

He understands every feeling you have. He feels every burden that lies on your shoulders. He can keep a secret. More importantly, God can heal, fix, deliver, and set free. Not only will he listen to you, he can provide what is needed to solve the issue.

The law of sowing and reaping will always be in operation. But God will give his grace to bear whatever we must go through. If you sow bad seed, you will reap a bad crop. However, once you acknowledge your wrong and repent, Gods grace will allow you to endure the bad crop, and strengthen you to sow good seed moving forward.

God is enough. We just have to trust him enough to go to him. He can handle everything you are going through.

Cry unto God, it will heal your soul!

Exodus 25:2

“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.”

God is all powerful. Psalms 24:1 tells us “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” He does not lack anything. This same God has plans for us all. He desires to use us to bring his will to pass.

Perfect example is the details of the temple that God gave to Moses to give to the people. God wanted to dwell among them. But because he is holy, and the people were not, he needed a plan that would allow him to be with them anyhow.

God told Moses to speak to the people. He didn’t command or demand. The request was given to all the children of Israel. However, God told Moses to take only from the people who chose to freely (willingly) give. The needed items could only come from a giving heart.

By definition, charity is the voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need. Kindness and tolerance in judging others. Love of humankind.

God does not “need” stuff from his people to get his work done. What he does require is for his people (who love and trust him enough) to want to be apart of his will. Giving is away to take part.

Giving is an act of love. It requires the giver to take a hold of the vision. And to have a desire to see the vision come to pass. Moses told the people what was needed. He detailed the reason for the ask. It was then left for the people to decide. Do we take hold of the vision, and decide to freely give what was needed? Or not. To those who chose to give, their offering was accepted.

Because God never changes, he is still doing the same with us today. God shows you a little of what he wants to do (in your life, with your ministry, etc). He lets us know what he requires of us. It is then up to us to decide. Do we want to take hold of the vision? Or not. Once we grab a hold of the vision, what are we willing to give to facilitate the vision? Whatever it is, it must be willingly given (or given up, as the case may be).

We cannot give grudgingly or against our will. Giving is an act of love. There is no love involved if you are forced to give. God wants you to freely choose him.

Give your time, your skill, your talent, even your finances from a heart of love. You must take an active part in bringing God’s will for your life to pass.

Prayerfully consider:

What is God asking you to give?

Are you willing to give it or let it go?

If so, don’t think about it, just do it. The vision – God’s plan for you – is worth it!

Romans 8:30

” Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

We serve a great big and awesome God!

He is not weak and unable to bring to pass the things he has spoken. Rather, as soon as God utter the plan for you, it became fact. It is substantial, firm, a foundation on which we can build.

Just because you do not see it now does not mean God is working on it. When he said it, it was already done. We must – through faith – grab hold of the promise and run with it. Once God spoke the promise, he then moved on to the next thing. He left the promise with us to work it, trust it, to run with it and accomplish.

For some reason believers tend to forget that this is a walk of faith. God is ever the same, he never changes. Just as he spoke light in creation, light came and he moved on the the next thing.

Don’t think that God has forgotten that which he has spoken to you or in you. He meant them. They are a reflection of his plans for your life. His expectation is that you will – with obedience – take hold of the thing he spoke. Embrace it with your heart, nurture it is faith, and work it in belief. Faith without works is dead. God expects both from his people.

If God has spoken a thing in your spirit. Trust the plan! Take action and run with it.

The worse thing you can do is to hide that God spoken word on the inside “protected” from people who are not on your level. People are not the issue. The real issue is that you yourself are not yet ready to accept the plan God has for you.

If this is your case, repent, ask God to forgive you. Go back and pull that God spoken word out from its hiding place, and revive it. Rebuke the spirit of fear from your life, and move forward in faith.

Trust the plan – God has prepared you for the plan he has for you. Believe it and move forward.

Working the Will of God

Exiting 2019, on this very last day of the decade, I am thankful for God’s goodness, his blessings, his favor, and abundance. I remember all that he has poured into me, and allowed me to share with his people. I remember the lives that he has allowed me to reach and bless in some small way. And I and thankful for all that he has in store for me to accomplish for the cause of Christ.

As I head into 2020, God says it is time work work the will of God.

The will of God is identified, amplified, explained, and known in his word. Through it God’s plan for our lives is formed and ordered.

By definition work is activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

The last message my husband preached for 2019 was Pursuing God. 2020 will be a year of going after the things God has ordered and ordained for us. The focus will be on work. Setting and attaining small goals that ultimately culminate in doing the will of God.

What is your focus for 2020?

Romans 8:26-27

“26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

This time of the year is perfect for reflection. Considering the successes and failures of the present year, before heading into the new year.

What is was your goal or plan for 2019? We you close to accomplishing them. Celebrate you successes, repent for your failures, and move on.

As you move on, first take the time to seek God for direction for the new year. Seek his face in prayer. Write down the vision for the new year, be as detailed as you can. Then make a plan with steps you can take towards that goal. Refer back to this writer vision throughout the year to help keep you on track.

Reflection requires prayer.

God has a purpose and a plan for everyone – without exception!!

Many times the enemy would like us to believe that we are all alone, without hope. That no one understands where you are, or what you are going through. He tries to make us think that we are the least of all. But this too is another lie that many take to heart.

We serve a God who promised to never leave or forsake us. The same God who cannot lie. This this means God is always there. Yes, there are times when our sins have separated us from him. But God is faithful, and knows how to get through to us. To let us know where we have fallen short, and allow space for repentance. So we can be reconciled to God.

Psalms 61:1-3 says, ” Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.“

It is so good to know that in those times when life would try to overwhelm us, we have a savior who helps with our infirmities (a physical weakness or ailment), and will make intercession (the action of intervening on behalf of another) for us. We go through so much that most of the time we do not even know exactly what is that we need.

With this understanding we are free to seek God for direction for the coming year.

God is always there working for us. Sometimes we fail to realize the depth of his love toward us. Instead, we take a lot of his goodness for granted. We fail to even recognize the hand of God at work in our lives.

But God knows what we need. His intercession for us is always according to God’s will for our lives. In Romans 8:28, we can understand why all things work for our good – because God has been intercession for us. Ordering God’s will to be done in us and through us.

The situations we go through may not be good. However, the end result of them will be for our good. Yes, sometimes loss is for our good. The lessons learned in dealing with loss will be beneficial in many other situations on the horizon. So that loss worked for my good because it prepared me for my future. I am stronger now. I would not have known it if it had not been for experiencing that loss.

So for this coming year…

– Let us learn from both our successes and failures.

– Let us seek God for direction in 2020.

– Let is write the vision down on paper, and refer back to it often.

– Let is think big, and dream big,

– Let us be accountable to remain faithful to the plan.

– Let rely on God, and not our own strength or will.

– Let is go into the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and faith in God.

Proverbs 24:16

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:

but the wicked shall fall into mischief. ”

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes and poor choices which cause us to stumble and fall. The key is not to stay down.

Take a minute to get over your feelings, then get up and try again!

So you made a move that you thought God was leading you to, and it did not immediately turn out the way you wanted.

So you chose to tie your self to the wrong person or job.

So you blamed others for your poor choices.

This list can be endless.

The bottom line is this – get back up and try again! Repent for your wrong if you must. Be honest, sometimes we are just wrong. Admit it, repent, and move on. Just don’t give up!

Trust in God’s love, protection, and guidance. Learn from every failure (or what you perceive as failure), but try again.

Do not allow a fall or failure steer your feet to more poor choices. Be willing to admit your error so you can be free.

Psalms 150

“Praise ye the Lord.

Praise God in his sanctuary:

praise him in the firmament of his power.

Praise him for his mighty acts:

praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:

praise him with the psaltery and harp.

Praise him with the timbrel and dance:

praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

Praise him upon the loud cymbals:

praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord.”

Psalms 150 opens and closes with the same command – to praise the Lord. The subsequent verses in this chapter tells where to praise him (his sanctuary, the firmament of his power), and why we should praise him (his mighty acts, and according to his greatness), and what we should use to praise him (musical instruments and our bodies). Prior to repeating the command, clarification is provided on who the command is for – every thing that has breath.

Sequence: command, where, why, with what, who, and finally the command again.

There are so many benefits of being a praiser. But the one that I believe that gets over looked the most is it takes the focus off of us and puts it back God, where it belongs.

The battleground of every struggle we face is in the mind. We do not wrestle with flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).

We can dress the part and speak the part. But in our mind the truth of what we feel, what we think, and where we are spiritually is ever present. We can fool people all day long on the outside, but the truth is ever with us on the inside. We cannot escape it. We can lie to ourselves, but God always knows the truth of us.

Having said that – we are back to the battleground of our struggles, our mind.

To truly be free we must willingly uncover our faults to God and allow him to work on them with us. We use the weapon of praise to do this. God told us to cast our cares on him because he cares for us. He also told us to always pray and not faint. He told us to pray without ceasing. Even songs tell us to “tell God all about it.” As we pour out all of our “stuff” on God, we need to be able to get the focus from us back on to God.

Praise causes us to think about the awesome God we serve. We can thank him for bearing the burden of the “stuff” we pour out to him.

During those times when we have so much going on in our lives, and it is to stressful to even think about them, there is praise. We turn the focus from those things, and consider God instead. We can choose to bless God, rather than dwell on the drama of our life.

Through praise we can choose to place the cares of this life at his feet, and go into praise instead.

Rather than trying to figure out how to handle stressful situations at work, in our relationships, etc. we choose instead to place them at God’s feet, through praise. Praise removes the burden from your shoulders, and gives it to God instead.

Praise brings God into our “right now” moments. The awesome thing about praise is that it can be done out loud or it can be done quietly at a desk, in a meeting, or in the middle of any situation- and know one knows but you and God.

Praise is a command that should be obeyed. Yes, there are times when you might no feeling like praising God, but don’t give in to it. The benefits we receive from praise far outweigh any sense of inconvenience we might have momentarily felt.

Because all things work together for the good of those that live him (Romans 8:28). Even the sacrifice of praise is worth it in the end.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise he the Lord!